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Westminsterresearch Social Condensation in the Metropole WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Social Condensation in the Metropole: Locating the First New Left Beech, N. This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of Architecture, 22 (3), pp. 488-511. The final definitive version is available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13602365.2017.1321032 © 2017 Taylor & Francis The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] The Journal of Architecture For Peer Review Only Social Condensation in the Metropole : Locating the First New Left Journal: The Journal of Architecture Manuscript ID RJAR-2016-0108.R2 Manuscript Type: Original Paper Keywords: New Left, London, social condenser, socialist humanism URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 1 of 35 The Journal of Architecture Nick Beech 1 2 3 Social Condensation in the Metropole: Locating the First New Left 4 5 Figure 1: The New Reasoner , vol. 7 (Winter 1958/59). Cover illustrations by André François. 6 7 8 Figure 2: Universities and Left Review , vol. 7 (Autumn 1959). Cover designed by Germano 9 Facietti, including photograph by Roger Mayne. 10 11 Figure 3: At the Partisan Coffee House. Raphael Samuel Archive, Bishopsgate Library. 12 13 14 Figure 4: DouglasFor Stephen Peer and Partner, Review Proposed Coffee Bar 7 CarlisleOnly Street, Perspective 15 Sketches, 17 February 1958. 16 17 Figure 5: Roger Mayne, 1959. Mary Evans Picture Library/Roger Mayne. 18 19 20 Figure 6: David Hurn, UK. London. Fifties cultural meeting place. The Partisan Coffee-Bar in 21 Soho London. Meeting place of the left wing activists of the period. People in the street 22 outside gaze through the large plate glass window at friends inside. 1957. David 23 Hurn/Magnum Photos. 24 25 Figure 7: The Partisan Coffee House, Soho, London, 2nd December 1960. Trinity 26 27 Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo. 28 29 Figure 8: Invitation to the opening night of The Partisan . Raphael Samuel Archive. 30 31 Figure 9: Telegram from Dorothy and Edward Thompson and John Saville. Raphael Samuel 32 33 Archive. 34 35 [Figures 8 and 9 must be shown together] 36 37 Figure 10: Roger Mayne, ‘Trendy Couple’, 1959. Mary Evans Picture Library. Mayne regularly 38 contributed to Universities and Left Review and provided six images for Stuart Hall’s 39 40 ‘Absolute Beginnings’ essay, as well as the cover illustration for the first publication of Colin 41 McInnes, Absolute Beginners . 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 2 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 The New Reasoner, vol. 7 (Winter 1958/59). Cover illustrations by André François 48 381x600mm (72 x 72 DPI) 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 3 of 35 The Journal of Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Universities and Left Review, vol. 7 (Autumn 1959). Cover designed by Germano Facietti, including photograph by Roger Mayne. 48 49 214x277mm (150 x 150 DPI) 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 4 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 At the Partisan Coffee House. Raphael Samuel Archive, Bishopsgate Library. 35 36 324x262mm (72 x 72 DPI) 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 5 of 35 The Journal of Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Douglas Stephen and Partner, Proposed Coffee Bar 7 Carlisle Street, Perspective Sketches, 17 February 1958. 34 35 1016x775mm (72 x 72 DPI) 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 6 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Roger Mayne, Untitled, 1959. Mary Evans Picture Library/Roger Mayne. 48 198x279mm (72 x 72 DPI) 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 7 of 35 The Journal of Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 David Hurn, UK. London. Fifties cultural meeting place. The Partisan Coffee-Bar in Soho London. Meeting 30 place of the left wing activists of the period. People in the street outside gaze through the large plate glass 31 window at friends inside. 1957. David Hurn/Magnum Photos. 32 33 377x248mm (72 x 72 DPI) 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 8 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 The Partisan Coffee House, Soho, London, 2nd December 1960. Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo. 33 458x336mm (72 x 72 DPI) 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 9 of 35 The Journal of Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Invitation to the opening night of The Partisan. Raphael Samuel Archive. 30 31 1001x654mm (72 x 72 DPI) 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 10 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Telegram from Dorothy and Edward Thompson and John Saville. Raphael Samuel Archive. 38 39 899x803mm (72 x 72 DPI) 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar Page 11 of 35 The Journal of Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Roger Mayne, ‘Trendy Couple’, 1959. Mary Evans Picture Library. Mayne regularly contributed to Universities and Left Review and provided six images for Stuart Hall’s ‘Absolute Beginnings’ essay, as well as the cover 48 illustration for the first publication of Colin McInnes, Absolute Beginners. 49 50 321x490mm (72 x 72 DPI) 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rjar The Journal of Architecture Page 12 of 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 1 18 19 Social Condensation in the Metropole: Locating the First New Left Nick Beech 20 21 ‘But do not think, for goodness sake, that I set out to build a symbol.’ Konstantin Melnikov 22 (Summer 1925). 1 23 As a proposition, the ‘social condenser’ assumes a necessary relation between art and 24 society. Just supposing that we could leave aside, for one moment, the vexed question of 25 determination, we might discern in the historiography of the social condenser an excitement that derives from this singular, provisional, social premise: the social condenser 26 does not ‘represent’ a new social life; the social condenser is not the utility or instrument of 27 a new social life; the social condenser is not an ‘expression’ or any kind of ‘outward 28 appearance’ of a new social life.
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