Bath and the Council House: A Social History is a new exhibition which has opened at the Museum of Bath at Work and will close on June 1st.
It is concerned with an overlooked aspect of Bath’s urban landscape – the legacy of the great twentieth century public house building programme of Bath City Council.
All attending will be able to take away a free publication based on the exhibition.
From the end for the 19th century until 1979 this sustained building scheme changed forever the look of Bath, expanding its borders and for the first time putting the provision of good quality housing, for the poorest, in the hands of local government.
Throughout the century, and in particular after 1945, local authority building evolved from semi-detached cottages and terraces at Dolemeads to garden suburbs at Southdown and from low rise apartment blocks at Snow Hill to brutalist towers at Ballance Street.
Director Stuart Burroughs said ‘ This exhibition is concerned with the public provision of housing in recent times, when for the first time the local authority took full responsibility for housing the poor at a time when this was national policy. Whilst the housing may not be distinguished architecturally it represents a new approach to social care and urban planning’
The exhibition run until June 1st and admission is free with admission to the Museum.
For more details contact Stuart Burroughs at the Museum of Bath at Work on 01225 318348 or director@bath-at-work.org.uk.
