Production design - the flat and some set photos

By coincidence, I stumbled over the websites of two members of the Poirot production crew: Ian Tomlinson (Art Department Assistant / Graphics Designer) and Andrew Lavin (Standby Art Director). Tomlinson's website, www.tomlinson-design.com, had a photo of Tomlinson's model for Poirot's flat (see below, photo linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended).

That is probably the most accurate floor plan we will ever get of the flat (see previous blog posts for other suggestions).

Tomlinson also seems to have done some of the props for the series. See, for instance, the passport of Count and Countess Andreyni from Murder on the Orient Express (below). I'm just delighted by the attention to detail they have on these adaptations, even down to birth dates of characters in a passport. Really!

Andrew Lavin's website has changed since I first visited it, so he has (sadly) deleted some of the many photos that were there to begin with. I very much regret I didn't save them. But I still have some, and there are still loads on his website (see below for a selection, photos linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended).


Here are two photos from Poirot's flat, one from Lavin's website (bottom) and one from the Agatha Christie facebook page (top).


To limit myself a bit, I will just draw your attention to two more photos from Lavin's website (see above). The first is from Appointment with Death, the hotel bar. I didn't really notice that this was a set when I first watched it, so that just proves that they did a good job! As to the second one, from Third Girl, I am just amazed at the detail of the food (as I hardly noticed it on screen).

Finally, two tiny updates from the filming of The Big Four that has just finished. One photo is of Suchet's chair on set, the other is from Miss Lemon's apartment, apparently (!). Both photos are from the AC facebook page. I'm thrilled that they have actually given Miss Lemon her own flat, even if it is probably just that corner with the telephone. I imagine we will see a scene where Poirot asks her to come back over the phone (hooray!).

Art Deco items

A reader of the blog, Ian, sent me these photos of Art Deco items from Poirot's flat that he has been able to get hold of (see below). I am impressed by the work he must have put down to track them down and very grateful that he has given me some info to post on the blog. The descriptions below are from Ian:

Stylized Doves by Artist Le Jan (French Art Deco)
The ‘Doves’ where often seen in Poirot’s first apartment. I recall seeing them mostly in the hallway/reception area displayed on a black/chrome table. They measure 18inches across and are ‘light cream’ in colour, their glaze finish is called ‘crackleware’ which was very popular during the 1930’s Art Deco movement. Poirot or should I say the ‘Production team’ seemed to think this style of ceramic would be well liked by the character (and I tend to agree). The new apartment has even more examples of ‘crackleware’ in the form of more animals and other objects, many again in cream or turquoise.

Poirot’s Microscope (E.Leitz Wetzalar)
An almost identical replica of the Microscope is in the episode ‘Murder in the Mews’, the scene shows Poirot dictating a letter to Miss Lemon and he’s seen pacing his apartment’s sitting room area correcting minor errors in the alignment of his books and ornaments and arrives at his Microscope correcting the tilt of its mirror. Although not Art Deco in its design it's still a wonderful period object dating back to the early 1900’s.


Art Deco Bankers Lamp
The electric ‘bankers-lamp’ sits on Poirot’s desk throughout all 1-5 series. One unusual point about the lamp is that it’s covered with an unusual clear coat finish, which makes the lamp appear to have a gold sheen in some light and then can appear more sliver in others and I have noticed this effect with its on screen counterpart. Most bankers lamps also have an adjustable shade but this lamp instead has a sliding grill/filter which moves up and down by hand to enable the user to control the brightness of the light.



Thank you, Ian!