The National Gallery in London is renovating its Sainsbury Wing and they’ve just found a secret letter from one of the original donors, sunk into a concrete column, saying that he hates the columns and is glad they’re being demolished.
Thats only 34 years old chances are good he is still alive but still fuck all big british Museums they only Display what britain stole around the world
Way back in the year 1990, no one could suspect this time capsule would be unleashed in the lofty year of 2024. I wonder if the architect appreciates this bit of candor.
circlebreaker
Grinch01
Thats only 34 years old chances are good he is still alive but still fuck all big british Museums they only Display what britain stole around the world
albester
1990? So that letter was hidden in a column for almost a decade?
Newitt
/gallery/tempus-fugit-tIk31l1
Gestalt7
“A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines” - Frank Lloyd Wright
CrispyNougat
Was there a frog in the column too?
trumpypumpyinyourrumpy
Some family will one day find a similar note i left in the sealed up fireplace in 1990
occamsblazer
This is like time traveler shade throwing and it's fantastic
boondoggle2025
I aspire to this level of pettiness
sirdouglasbuttersworth
Am I allowed to ask it why it's white?
Type17
Office paper in most places is usually white - the yellow thing is only in the US (& Canada?).
Oaristys
Never understood why it was yellow in North America
sirdouglasbuttersworth
It's been in a wall for several decades... all paper decays and yellows
Cactus21
Hilarious!
8FootedAlgaeEater
Wow. From ancient times, this author has reached out and touched the future. I hope someone can trace his descendants and show them this.
Jumpkickasaurus
Way back in the year 1990, no one could suspect this time capsule would be unleashed in the lofty year of 2024. I wonder if the architect appreciates this bit of candor.
intaglioguy
No picture of the offending bit of architecture?
Type17
There's a (smallish) pic in this article, with the proposed new foyer design on the right, and the previous on the left - the pillars do dominate the whole area: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/10/03/my-plea-to-londons-national-gallery-to-scrap-its-35m-sainsbury-wing-new-entrance-plans
oldguyexlurker
Wow. That's from the late 1900s! (cries in old)
jeffoisdubois3000
What's the big deal? It was only 10 years ago.
Newitt
/gallery/tempus-fugit-tIk31l1
DWolf
Such elegance and grace, too.
tarataqa
1990 was a great year.
Mamaof2QTs
Yeah it was. If I had to go relive one year of my childhood, this would be the year. 3rd grade.
jac1
We were just ten years away from getting our very own flying cars.
Revyloution
Still are!
Blakeadelic
Too bad that he passed in 2022 before this happened. The National Gallery is a terrific museum, columns or no.
Grinch01
Oh okay that sucks i though chances are good that after 34 years he could be still around
PleaseDoNotThrowHandsAtMe
“One of the original donors” yes I believe Lord Sainsbury would qualify for that
cmdshift3
Showing this thing from 1990 as if it's some sort of artifact hurts my feelings
Christoftaylor
It was a previous century after all.
CausticCake
The US government considers any document more than 20 years old (2004 at the moment of this comment) to be "ancient"
TinaEveFox
When I first looked at this I thought that it was gonna say 1930 or something this just stings it's younger than me.
Wirefish
I feel like I am an artefact of a kinder, gentler age.
AlexVanPutten
The future?
Newitt
A mysterious relic from the dim, unchronicled mists of antiquity, yes sir!
michiyl
RPCharImages
Oi! I was born then! Its chronicled!