Professor Sir Misha Black

GEDCOM Note

Still known as Moisei Tcherny at time of first marriage. GRO Index: Apr-Jun 1935, Holborn 1b 1223

Home Office: Immigration and Nationality Departmen... HO 334/344/14923

Naturalisation Certificate: Moisei Tcherny. From Russia. Resident in London. Certificate BNA14923 issued 7 September 1950. Note(s): Alias: Misha Black. . Naturalisation Certificate: Moisei Tcherny. From Russia. Resident in London. Certificate BNA14923 Date: 1950 Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives

TCHERNY, Moisei, known and described in the Receiving Order as Misha Black, 28A, Little Saint Andrew Street, London, W.C.2. COM- -MERCIAL ARTIST. Court-HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE. ' No. of Matter-158 of 1933. Date of Order-May 1, 1935. • - Nature of Order made-Bankrupt's discharge suspended for six months, and that he foe discharged as from Nov. 1, 1935. Grounds named in Order for refusing an , absolute Order of Discharge-Proofs of Facts • mentioned in Section 26, sub-section 3 (A. and B.), Bankruptcy Act, 1914, as amended iby Section 1 of the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Act, 1926. (London Gazette 28 May 1935)

Went to NY on 1 April 1939 - on Queen Mary liner. He went to the New York Fair on behalf of the British Government, and then came back to London. Bizarrely, upon the outbreak of war he was interned on the Isle of Man as a stateless citizen before being released to rejoin the war effort, becoming a leading light in the Utility Furniture project. Not until several years after the war did Misha regularise his citizenship status, having already been awarded the OBE!

NOTICE is hereby given that MISHA BLACK of 2, Robert Street, Adelphi, W.C.2, in the county of London, a citizen of .the United Kingdom and1 Colonies 'by naturalisation, lately called Moisey Tcherny, has assumed and intends henceforth upon all occasions and at all times to sign and use and to be called and known by the name of Misha Black in lieu of and dn substitution for ihis former name of Moisey Tcherny and that such change of name is formally declared and evidenced by a Deed under his1 hand and seal dated the 28th day of August, 1953, duly executed and attested and enrolled in the Central Office of the Supreme Court of Judicature on the 3rd day of December, 1953.- Dated this 9th day of December, 1953. TARLO LYONS and CO., 16, Manchester Square, London, W.I, Solicitors for the said (334) Misha Black. (London Gazette 11 December 1953)

See Blake, Avril (1984) Misha Black. The Design Council Blake, Avril (1983) The Black papers on design: selected writings of Sir Misha Black. Pergamon Press The Times obituary Who Was Who? 1975-80 http://www.londonsocietyjournal.org.uk/460/black.php

Projects include: Peter Jones department store Refurbishment of New London Synagogue Canberra cruise ship Festival of Britain

Personal memories: I remember Christmas dinners with my uncle Misha - usually on Boxing Day, in fact. They would take place in his luxurious flats, first in South Kensington and later at John Adam Street. I was always fascinated by his collection of stuffed owls and fearsome Oceanian masks. We had a family joke that the gifts from Misha's Christmas crackers probably cost more than our main presents to them; an indication partly of the differing incomes of the two families but also of the differing values held by Misha and his sister.

Although I was fond of my uncle Misha, even to a child's eye he appeared slightly pompous and self-satisfied

I know my mother was far fonder of Misha's first wife, Helen, than of Joan - as was I - and I certainly found Misha and Joan's son, Oliver, rather a spoilt brat - an opinion much later confirmed by his half-sister, Julia.