At the Sign of the Four-Poster

I was waiting outside Goodge Street Tube yesterday and the front of Heal's on Tottenham Court Road looked magnificent in the sunshine.

 

This is the  southern extension built by the architect  Sir Edward Maufe (1882–1974) between 1936 and 1938 and features these beautiful decorative panels advertising the specialities of this venerable furniture and interior design shop.

 

 

The architect's wife, Prudence Maufe, was a designer and interior decorator, and a Director of Heal's. She  had a long running affair with the Managing Director Ambrose Heal. I wonder if in some convoluted way, this is how Edward Maufe was chosen to execute the extension?

Prior to  his marriage to Prudence, Sir Edward had fortuitously changed his birth name by deed poll to Maufe. He had originally been christened Edward Muff. The change no doubt helped his career and that of Prudence and would presciently deny shop floor wags the opportunity of  mocking a "Prudence Muff" or any variations of the name.

Not satisfied with just one lover Ambrose Heal, like Prudence, needed  more loving than most. During his affair with Prudence he also conducted a long affair with one of the store's assistants, Dodie Smith, who went on to become the author of One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

In addition to his dalliances Ambrose Heal also found time to work with London Underground's Frank Pick to set up the "Design and Industries Association", forerunner of the Design Council.

I couldn't find photos of all the panels on the net and in looking for more details I discovered these snippets. I still haven't been able to find out who produced the panels for Maufe, .if anyone knows please drop me a line.