london150 The Gamble Room This room, known as the Gamble Room, is a magnificently ornate response to the need for a public dining room in the Museum. It was designed by James Gamble and opened in 1868. Exuberant mustard, cream and brown majolica tiles cover the walls. Written text mingles with pictorial ornament to divert diners. The long quotation running around the room reads: "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor XYZ" (Ecclesiastes 2;24) It uses an alphabet specially designed by Godfrey Sykes. His self-portrait can be seen beside each letter I. Quotations from an eclectic range of sources such as the Bible and the Ingoldsby legends (humorous narrative poems by Richard Barham, 1788-1845), appear in the stained glass windows. They all relate to eating and drinking. For example, "Hunger is the best sauce", and "Wine for the people, water for the geese". Godfrey Sykes (1824-1866), Reuben Townroe and James Gamble (both 1835-1911), who were all pupils of Alfred Stevens, worked on this central room. Sykes died in March 1866, shortly after starting work on the designs. Townroe and Gamble, his two assistants, carried on with the design, but Gamble did most of the work. Ceraminc covering was chosen for ease of cleaning, possibly inspired by Prince Albert's dairy at Frogmore which was designed by John Thomas. Four iron posts put in by Francis Fowke (the original architect of these Refreshment Rooms) were masked by ornamental ceramic work, modeled by Gamble and ordered from Minton, Hollins & Co on 11 May 1867 at a cost of £257. Powell & Son manufactured the windows at the Whitefriars Glass Company and the experimental enameled iron ceiling was fired by the Patent Enamel Company in Brimingham. The four columns attached heavy criticism at the time of their unveiling. The use of ceramic was felt to be misleading because it appeared to by used in a loadbearing capacity. Despite this unusual architectural idiom, and frequent complaints about the food, prices and service in the nineteenth century, today the Gamble Room is acknowledged as one of the finest public Victorian interiors in London.