Heath Robinson Museum

03/09/2026

A few snapshots from our final Art in the Park session of the summer!🎨
During our final session, our artists created collaged and camouflaged birds, taking inspiration from the natural world around them. 🐦🍃
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Art in the Park sessions this summer. We’ve loved seeing all the brilliant creations!

01/09/2026

From Heath Robinson’s eccentric railway inventions to a steam-age machine of salvaged parts 🚂

Commissioned by the Great Western Railway in 1935, Heath Robinson’s illustrations for Railway Ribaldry depict gadgets and mechanisations that, in many ways, pre-empted the vast mobilisation needs of the Second World War.

Among them are 'Taking seats for lunch on one of the first trains to be equipped with restaurant cars' and 'The first waiting room', capturing Robinson’s wonderfully inventive and satirical take on the rapidly changing world of rail travel.

Nearly a century later, artist Tim Ellis took inspiration from Railway Ribaldry to create his own eccentric steam-age locomotive: a 5-gauge model train powered by Anxiety and Yesterday’s News and constructed entirely from salvaged materials, from aircraft parts to brass trinkets.

And the actual train Tim created lives just next door in our permanent gallery, where you can see it alongside Heath Robinson’s work. Entry to the permanent gallery is included with your ticket to Unseen, so don’t forget to take a look!

With thanks to Chris Beetles Gallery for the Railway Ribaldry illustrations.
Photos by Heath Leung.

18/08/2026

On loan from Bruce Castle Museum, these striking Heath Robinson illustrations for Rudyard Kipling’s 'A Song of the English' are currently on display in our Unseen exhibition.

Published in 1909, this illustrated edition brought together Kipling’s poems exploring England, its history, exploration and the people who travelled across the world. Robinson responded with a series of atmospheric and often dramatic illustrations, bringing Kipling’s words to life with his extraordinary draughtsmanship.

Look closely at the delicate linework, intricate details and unusual compositions. There is a surprisingly contemporary quality to these images, particularly in the way Robinson plays with perspective, scale and viewpoint.

One of the most striking is 'The Wrecks' (slide 2), which illustrates Kipling’s poem 'The Deep-Sea Cables.' Robinson depicts the wreckage from beneath the surface, placing us down in the dark with it. The unusual viewpoint makes the image feel remarkably immersive, drawing us into the depths alongside the ship.

The other illustrations reveal the same extraordinary attention to detail, from the atmospheric 'Came the Whisper, Came the Vision' (slide 1) to the haunting 'There’s never an ebb goes seaward now, but drops our dead on the sand' (slide 3).

For tickets and more information, visit our website:
https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/whats-on/heath-robinson-unseen/

03/08/2026

A glimpse of the beauty and imagination behind Heath Robinson’s illustrations for Twelfth Night, currently on display in Unseen.

Twelfth Night was one of the works Robinson illustrated during his early career, around the time he moved to the Pinner area in 1908. His connection to the area continued throughout his life, which is why the Heath Robinson Museum is now located here, celebrating the work of an artist who called Pinner home.

These delicate original drawings reveal Robinson’s extraordinary eye for detail, from the expressive characters to the intricate costumes and playful compositions.

For tickets and more information, visit our website:
https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/whats-on/heath-robinson-unseen/

30/07/2026

One of the highlights of Unseen is this rarely seen original character study by Heath Robinson, which may have inspired one of the fantastical figures in his illustrations for The Works of François Rabelais (1904).

François Rabelais was a French Renaissance writer best known for his satirical masterpiece Gargantua and Pantagruel, a world of fantastical characters and imaginative storytelling that gave Robinson the perfect opportunity to explore his own wonderfully inventive style.

Slide 1: This original character study offers a glimpse into Heath Robinson’s creative process. The expressive ink brushstrokes and loose lines capture the development of a wonderfully eccentric hooked-nosed figure, revealing Robinson’s skill in creating distinctive and memorable characters.

Slide 2 & 3: Titled 'Knight Hawks', look closely at the bird-like figure and the energetic brushwork that bring this character to life. The loose marks, layered paint and spontaneous lines reveal Robinson experimenting with form and personality, offering a rare glimpse into his approach as an illustrator.

Slide 4: You’ll also spot a rare pasted correction, where the head of the right-hand figure has been carefully replaced over an earlier version. This unusual surviving alteration offers a fascinating insight into Robinson refining and developing his work.

These works are now on display in Unseen, our exhibition of never-before-exhibited and rarely seen works by William Heath Robinson.

🎟️ For tickets and more information, visit our website
https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/whats-on/heath-robinson-unseen/

24/07/2026

In 1902, Heath Robinson published The Adventures of Uncle Lubin, a book he later described as a pivotal step towards his famous gadget drawings. Everyday objects are ingeniously repurposed: an umbrella becomes a boat, while a hand-cranked, jerry-built contraption takes to the skies.

The illustrations also reveal his striking use of negative space and the influence of Japanese art, which was transforming European visual culture at the time.

Nothing compares to seeing the originals. These works are now on display in Unseen, our exhibition of never-before-exhibited and rarely seen works by William Heath Robinson, link in bio

Slides 1-2

‘2nd Adventure, The Aeronaut‘, 1902
From ‘Uncle Lubin’.Having seen the Bag-bird fly up to the moon, Lubin builds an Air-ship to give chase. Ink and Watercolour on paper

Slides 3-4

‘8th Adventure’ 1902
The old umbrella floated beautifully, so Uncle Lubin climbed into it, and sailed away, pg81
Ink and water colour on paper 23 x 18.5cms

Slides 5-6

‘3rd Adventure, The Mariner’, 1902
Lubin sails away in the beautiful boat that he has built to search for little Peter
Ink and water colour on paper 23 x 18cms

Slides 7-8

‘9th Adventure’ 1902
Uncle Lubin comes across the dragon snake, which besides looking ugly, appears to be very hungry, pg85, pen and ink on paper, 23 x 18.5cms

Slides 9-10

‘8th Adventure – the shower’ 1902
Uncle Lubin was out walking when it began to rain, pg75, Ink and water colour on paper 23 x 18.5cms

Slides 11-12

‘8th Adventure’ 1902
Soon the whole of the country began to get flooded’, pg77, Ink and watercolour on paper,
23 x 18.5cms

Slide 13

‘4th adventure’ 1902
Lubin’s boat quickly became frozen up but he bravely continues his search on foot, p39
Ink and water colour on paper 24 x 19.5cms

15/07/2026

What a fantastic day! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of 'Unseen' and our Family Fun Day. It was wonderful to see the museum and Pinner Memorial Park filled with visitors enjoying the exhibition, taking part in creative activities, and celebrating our 10th anniversary with us.

From getting hands-on with crafts, to discovering William Heath Robinson's remarkable original artworks, many of them on public display for the very first time, it was a day full of creativity, curiosity and community.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the opening such a memorable occasion. If you couldn't make it, 'Unseen' is now open, and we look forward to welcoming you to the museum soon!

🗓️We're open 11am-4pm Thu-Sun
🎟️For more information and tickets, please visit our website.
https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/whats-on/heath-robinson-unseen/

08/07/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who came on Saturday to celebrate 10 years of Heath Robinson.

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Professional photos by Heath Leung

05/07/2026