A basement space is currently filled with childhood delights, with an exhibition about Arthur Humberstone, the man who created Watership Down and Animal Farm, amongst many other films and credits to his name.
Some of the display looks at the work of the very short-lived animation film studio set up in 1948, Animaland, by the American animator David Hand, with backing from the UK’s J Arthur Rank.
Although the short films it produced were very high quality, they weren’t popular and the studio closed just a couple of years later.
That left Humberstone seeking work, and he found it at Halas & Batchelor and as a senior animator with Martin Rosen on Watership Down, and as director on Animal Farm.
The main part of the exhibition looks at these two British animated success stories, with a mix of animation slides from the films, early sketches showing how the character designs evolved, and even some of the studies done of real animals as they prepared to create their cartoon equivalents.
After he set up his own firm, Humberstone was part of the team behind Yellow Submarine, and to my considerable surprise, he’s the man who designed the Babycham logo, which is still used to this day.
Of course, I’d Love a Babycham!
Another corner shows a replica of the animator’s desk left just as if he had stepped outside for a few minutes.
As an exhibition, it’s small snapshot of the family archive of his work, and it’s certainly nostalgic for those who saw those two main movies, or would like a Babycham.
The exhibition, Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad: The Extraordinary Animaland of Arthur Humberstone is at the Horse Hospital, just behind Russell Square tube station.
It’s only open until Friday 5th May, and entry is by donation, paid in advance.
When you arrive, press the bell to be let in, and the exhibition is in the basement.
The exhibition was put together by Arthur Humberstone’s two sons, Nigel and Klive, who are themselves music composers who have worked on a number of films.
