Between 1933 and 1939 residents in a couple of roads in Belsize, some of whom were exiles from Fascism in Europe, combined to have a remarkable impact on both art and espionage.  The Mall Studios, off Parkhill Road, were the focal point for artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, supported and encouraged by the writer and art critic, Herbert Read.  Stimulated by artistic developments in Continental Europe, and the arrival of exiles from the German Bauhaus School and the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, they had a significant impact on the development of the British Modernist Movement.  Around the same time, Jack and Molly Pritchard commissioned an iconic Modernist block nearby, which was then known as the Lawn Road Flats.  The Pritchards welcomed many exiles, including Communist political refugees from Germany and Austria.  Some of those already had strong connections to Russian espionage agencies who commissioned them to set up British spy networks. This led to the recruitment of the Cambridge Five and Klaus Fuchs, one of the scientists developing the atomic bomb.  In her talk, Averil will explain more about these fascinating developments in culture and chicanery.  

This talk was recorded and is available on https://youtu.be/mfOwKVGAeuA