26 February 2020
On the evening of the 26th February the Science Museum came alive to host its monthly ‘Lates’ event. February’s theme celebrated the opening of Science City 1550-1800: The Linbury Gallery, the most recent addition to the second floor of the Science Museum and The Clockmakers’ Museum complimentary neighbouring gallery.
This seemed the perfect opportunity to open the Clockmakers’ Museum to the 4000 or so mostly young professional guests and let them try out some decorative techniques employed in watchmaking. The International Watch Seminar, run by Freemen Johan Ten Hoeve and James Harris, provided machinery and expert advice to allow the public to apply a ‘perlage’ finish to a key fob, which they could then take home. The art of watchmaking was also demonstrated, with James Harris dismantling and reassembling a watch movement via a live video feed. Museum volunteer Chris Mann and the Curator Anna Rolls were on hand to discuss the broader context of watchmaking, and to encourage visitors to explore the gallery and its contents.
The event was a great success. Throughout the evening a constant stream of curious visitors flowed through the gallery, eager to try out the technique on offer and to learn more about the art and mystery of clock and watchmaking.
