Garden City Collection

23/05/2026

RECENT ARRIVALS: did you know that Letchworth Garden City has three twin towns, the first of which was Kristiansand in Norway. Located in the south of Norway, Kristiansand is a popular tourist destination with a ‘city beach’ that hosts an annual music festival.

Kristiansand Way in Letchworth takes its name from our twin town, though it looks a little different to the images on this postcard..

19/05/2026

RECENT ARRIVALS: last year we acquired a set of slides from the 1960s and 70s. This photograph from June 1973 shows a view to the south from Kennedy Gardens, including the iconic poplars with St Michael’s church in the background.

Known as Broadway Gardens since the relandscaping in 2003, this area was intended as a central focal point from the very first plans of Letchworth Garden City by Parker & Unwin. Originally planned to be the location of civic buildings and known as Town Square, the site ended up being developed in a more piecemeal fashion over the years and has remained a fully open space.

09/05/2026

RECENT ARRIVALS: another postcard that we recently accessioned into the collections here is this linocut by Lynn Evans, produced for Letchworth Museum and Art Gallery in 2003 (Letchworth's centenary year).
Here we see some of Letchworth’s most iconic buildings stacked atop each other.

What is you favourite building in Letchworth, and is it included here?

02/05/2026

This week is National Gardening Week.
Parks and gardens, both public and private have always played an important role in Letchworth Garden City (it’s even in the name).

A number of plant nurseries have existed in and around Letchworth over the town’s history, one of the most significant being Harkness’ Roses, specialists in the care and growth of roses.

As can be seen in these photographs from the 1950s – 1980s, Harkness’ Roses previously occupied what is now Hitchin Garden Centre, growing their own rose cultivars and regularly exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show.

04/04/2026

RECENT ARRIVALS: we are always looking out for interesting objects that help us tell the story of Letchworth Garden City and its people.
We recently added this postcard to our collections – a postcard about postcards no less!
Printed for ‘The British Postcard Centenary’, celebrated by Hertfordshire Postcard Club at their 9th Postcard Fair, held at Plinston Hall in Letchworth on 14th May 1995.

Do you have any unusual postcards at home? Share with us in the comments!

Check back for more objects that have recently arrived in our collections over the coming weeks.

http://gardencitycollection.com/object-2025-4

25/02/2026

Barry Parker exhibition at Broadway Gallery - final week!

Sunlight was central to Barry Parker’s work, from modest cottages to grand private homes. He considered it essential to health, not merely a design luxury. He wrote of wellbeing long before it became a popular concept:
“Beauty is a preventive and curative medicine; it makes us happy and therefore in good health.”
For Parker, careful orientation began with the layout of the site, continued to the placement of individual houses, and extended to the arrangement of rooms. Each space was designed with its function in mind at different times of the day.

In this sketch for a house near Brussels, A large bow window maximises daylight, with white tiling offering further reflection creating a bright and airy room.

Barry Parker: Art of Building a Home continues at Broadway Gallery until 7 March.

https://www.broadway-gallery.com/whats-on/barry-parker-2025/

21/02/2026

Join us at the Broadway Gallery on Saturday 7th March for an engaging talk on the domestic architecture of Barry Parker by Daniel Stilwell, architect and architectural historian.

Focusing on Parker’s work as an architect, the talk will explore his approach to creating light, warm, and cohesive interiors that were both practical and beautiful.

Barry Parker: Art of Building a Home is open now and continues until 7th March.

https://www.broadway-gallery.com/whats-on/straightforwardarch/

21/02/2026

We've been greatly enjoying the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, and we’ve taken the opportunity to delve into the archives...
Heavy snowfall in January 1962 gave residents of Letchworth and North Herts the opportunity to take part in some winter sports rarely possible in our corner of the world, with tobogganing, skiing, skating, and ice hockey all reported in The Citizen and The Pictorial.

Looks like great fun, although we're not too keen on a repeat of those snowy conditions anytime soon!

31/01/2026

Vote Now! 🗳️

Meet the most stylish sportsman of 1983—this legendary Bowls Trophy from the Letchworth Inter Works Sports League, rocking concentration, flair, and an unbeatable moustache!

Vote here for Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year hertfordshire.gov.uk/ooty Voting closes at midnight on 22nd February, and the winner will be announced on 4th March at the Hertfordshire Association of Museums Awards. Hertfordshire County Council Garden City Collection

Garden City Collection

20/01/2026

Our newest exhibition, Art of Building a Home, opens this Friday!

Exploring the life and legacy of Barry Parker - a pioneering yet often overlooked figure of the Arts & Crafts Movement - the exhibition draws from the extensive Parker Collection. A big thanks to the Garden City Collection, who have carefully curated a range of architectural drawings and plans, photographs, artworks created by Parker himself, and other rarely seen items.

Barry Parker helped shape the Garden Cities model, driven by a deep belief that well-designed buildings and thoughtfully planned community spaces could improve everyday life. Letchworth Garden City was his most enduring achievement and the place he called home for over 40 years.

Opening Friday 16th January – and we’re FREE to visit.