Art Deco exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum has been open for 3-1/2 weeks now. Has anyone seen it? Anyone have any insight into whether buying tickets in advance (and, thus, committing in advance to a certain time) is necessary?<BR> Thanks.

At a party last night I talked with friends who just returned from several months at their home in London. Their top attraction this year was the Art Deco exhibit you mention. They raved.<BR>Can't help you about the details.

Have you tried their website? www.vam.ac.uk<BR>

JamesL, <BR><BR>I'll be in London in June, and I've been wondering the same thing, for the same reasons: I don't want to get closed out, or have to wait in a long line to buy a ticket if I wait until I get there to buy one, but I also would prefer not to lock myself into going to the museum at a specific time on a specific date when I have no way of knowing what I'll feel like doing that day, what the weather will be like, etc. For what it's worth, I'm thinking of waiting until I get to London and then, once I begin to see how my week shapes up, asking the concierge at my hotel to arrange a ticket for me.<BR><BR>By the way, I've looked at the V&amp;A's website (as you probably have too), and I note that they encourage people to buy tickets in advance, but I guess what we're both wondering is how seriously to take that, since the museum has an economic interest in getting people to fork over their money as early as possible.

You've read my mind, Bree. My wife and I will be in London in June also. Having visited both the DaVinci drawings exhibition at the Met and the Matisse-Picasso at the MoMA in NYC 3 weeks ago, we're sensitized to how important advance reservations can be. I'm thinking the Art Deco show is of comparable interest and that we'll go ahead and book.

We visited the Art Deco exhibition the day after it opened at the Victoria and Albert in late-March. Before leaving the States for London, I learned of the exhibition and obtained advance timed entry tickets from their website and was happy I did so. Our entry time was set for 1030 a.m., and upon arrival at the museum about 10 minutes early we encountered nearly a block-long line snaking from the museum's front door (I'm not certain all those in line were there for the Art Deco exhibition as some may have been there for entry into other portions of the Victoria and Albert). In any event, the timed entry tickets allowed us to bypass the line and head directly for the entrance to the Art Deco exhibition toward the rear of the museum. As for the exhibition itself, we thought it was fantastic. It begins with an analysis of the origins of Art Deco, with plenty of commentary on the historical and social events of the times, and continues through the evolution of Art Deco (with special emphasis on the international exhibitions at the Paris Exposition) to its zenith in New York City architecture and its mass production in various parts of the world. The audio tour (which you can rent at the entrance to the exhibition for what I recall was about GBP 3.5 per person) was outstanding and after the main commentary you are frequently able to push additional buttons for more in-depth commentary on a particular item or subject, if you are so inclined. The exhibition took us just under three hours to see, although I am certain some could do it faster. We found everything to be of great interest (and some items are stunningly beautiful). Anyway, from our perspective, we are thrilled to have seen this exhibition and were not put off at all by having to commit to a precise date and time before travelling to London. I would rate the Art Deco exhibition as good as, if not somewhat better than, the Faberge exhbition which travelled through the United States a few years ago, if you happened to catch that while it was here. Highly recommended.

I am in the same quandry about whether to buy tickets in advance and thus lock my schedule in, or wait until I get to London and play things by ear. <BR><BR>I think one way to approach it would be to buy tickets in advance, for the opening time of the museum. (whatever that is 9:30 or 10 or whatever). That I think would cause the least disruption to that days schedule, if other things come up.

I read somewhere that the Art Deco exhibit is scheduled to travel to the USA and be in the Boston Museum of Fine for several months, starting August 2004.

According to my local newspaper, the Art Deco exhibition will be here in North America after the London show closes: Toronto (Royal Ontario Museum, Autumn 2003), San Franciso (Palace of the Legion of Honor, Spring 2004), and Boston (Museum of Fine Arts, Autumn 2004).

Was just there on Easter Sunday. Very good exhibition. Superb collection. The line er..uh.. queue was tolerable, but then again it was a national holiday. You'd be best off to buy in advance if possible.

Just when I wonder why I visit this Fodor's travel talk board so often, there comes a day like today! Threads about how fit you have to be to walk the Cinque Terre trails, recipes for tapas, Lago Maggiore, and now Art Deco. This is great and thank you, Fodors! J.

And Patrick, I don't think I thanked you for your credit card info