Public House: the culture and society of the London pub

Shaped by social, aesthetic and political movements, the extraordinary story of London’s pubs tells the story of the city itself. Join Cristina Monteiro and David Knight as they explore the history, design and culture of the London public house through histories, stories, anecdote and ephemera.

This is a remote event that will be held on Zoom.

Shaped by social, aesthetic and political movements, the extraordinary story of London’s pubs tells the story of the city itself. Authors and designers Cristina Monteiro and David Knight have been fascinated by the role of the pub in urban life for many years and in 2021 published ‘Public House: A cultural and social history of the London pub’ (Open City), an edited collection that tells the story of London’s pubs – through 120 examples and a wide variety of different voices: architects, musicians, comedians, historians. Tonight David and Cristina will draw on material from their book to tell a wide variety of stories that emphasise the vital role London’s pubs play in its collective identity and sociability, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the life of pubs and their design.