Britain in the Fifties:

Design and Aspiration

About the
exhibition

Britain in the Fifties explored the history of post–war design through the experiences of the average British couple. The 1950s was a time when Britain, emerging from years of austerity and rationing, led the world in the quality and innovation of its decorative and applied arts, and when good design became affordable by all. Leading artists now chose to work for commercial design companies, and many became household names. In the years which followed the ground-breaking Festival of Britain of 1951, design played a crucial role in shaping and redefining the Brave New World of a modernising and increasingly prosperous Britain.

The exhibition looked at all aspects of 1950s design, both inside and outside the home: from Lucienne Day’s furnishing fabrics, Horrockses’ dresses and Robert Welch’s cutlery to Ken Wood’s Kenwood Chef, Enid Seeney’s ‘Homemaker’ ceramics and Alec Issigonis’ Mini. Visitors to this engaging retrospective will have seen a vision of the country sixty years ago as it draws together over 150 objects as diverse as a Vespa scooter, the original watercolour illustrations for the celebrated 1958 Ladybird book Shopping with Mother and posters by Enid Marx and Edward Bawden.