26th Nov – National Portrait Gallery: Guided Tour – Queer Stories – Away Day

Opened in 1856 the National Portrait Gallery was the first public gallery in the world dedicated to portraits. Its collection provides a unique way to understand the past through people and the context they lived in. It tells the story of the nation through the people who shaped it.

Queer Stories explores the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sex/gender-identifying (LGBTQ+) sitters within the collection, showcasing queer lives and liberation through the years. From the legendary Chevalier D’Eon to Virginia Woolf, Gwen John to Elton , the tour explores how queerness has shaped the collection. Discover a landscape of often hidden histories brought to light. This session
may reference adult themes and content and has the potential to use strong language.

Our guided tour is scheduled for 11.45am and lasts for one hour. After our tour members may wish to explore other parts of the Gallery’s extensive collection independently. Portraits are arranged chronologically, starting with the Tudor Collection on floor 3 and ending with the newest additions on floor 0.

There’s a very pleasant café in the Gallery for refreshments (not included in the price), although we cannot make an advance booking. There are also several other cafés in the area .

Date: Thursday, 26 November Meeting Time/Place: 10.15am at Waterloo Station opposite platforms 1-4 Travel: We’ll take the 76 bus to Trafalgar Square and walk the short distance to the Gallery entrance.
Cost: £22.40
Accessibility: There’s a small flight of steps at the main entrance. All floors can be accessed by escalators and lifts.
To join us on this intriguing tour, please complete the booking form in the centre of this newsletter and send it with your cheque, made payable to Kingston u3a GAS, to Hazel Burr.
hazelbee46@yahoo.co.uk
07950 687553