'Britain Can Make It'
This landmark exhibition held at the V&A in 1946 positioned Britain at the forefront of global industrial design
Post-war design
From mid-century modernism to the swinging sixties through to the edgy, subversive seventies, British design post-1945 became an antidote to the sombre ethos of wartime, as designers found creative solutions to transform a nation still dealing with austerity and rationing.
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In the decades following the Second World War (1939 – 45), high-profile events such as the 1948 London Olympics and the 1951 Festival of Britain helped to relaunch Britain, spurred on by designers like Ernest Race, Abram Games and Robin and Lucienne Day. The boom in mass-produced consumer goods, the advent of pop and punk, and space-age anxieties left their mark on everything from clothing to homewares, changing the shape of British design indefinitely.
Collection highlights
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EKCO A22, radio, designed by Wells Coates, manufactured by E. K. Cole Ltd, 1946, Southend-on-Sea, England -
Festival of Britain, poster, designed by Abram Games, 1951, UK -
(Detail) Olympic torch, designed by Ralph Lavers, manufactured by High Duty Alloys Ltd, 1947, London, England -
Boric Acid 8.34, wallpaper, designed by William J. Odell, produced by John Line & Sons Ltd., 1951, England -
Britain Can Make It, poster, designed by Ashley Havinden, printed by Haycock Press Ltd., 1946, UK -
Garden Egg Chair, designed by Peter Ghyczy, manufactured by Elastogran GmbH, 1968, Lemförde, Germany -
Ornament, designed by Wendy Ramshaw and David Watkins, 1966 – 7, London, England -
Frequency, furnishing fabric, designed by Barbara Brown, made for Heal Fabrics Ltd.,1969, UK -
(Detail) Robin Hood Gardens, Poplar, London, building, by Alison and Peter Smithson, 1970 – 72, UK -
Jamie Reid archive, t-shirt, by Jamie Reid, Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood and Johnny Rotten, 1976, London, England -
Pye model CS17, television, designed by Robin Day, made by Pye Ltd, 1956 – 7, Cambridge, England -
Homemaker, plate, designed by Enid Seeney and Tom Arnold, made by Ridgway Potteries Ltd., 1950s, Staffordshire, England -
Queen Elizabeth II, photograph, C-type print, by Cecil Beaton, 1953, London, England -
Marilyn Monroe, screenprint, by Andy Warhol, printed by Aetna Silkscreen Products Inc./ Du-Art Displays, published by Factory Additions, 1967, New York, US -
Christine Keeler beside chair, 1963, photograph, gelatin silver print, by Lewis Morley, 1963, London, England
Features
Althea McNish – an introduction
Discover how Althea McNish's tropical textile designs changed the character of British Modernism
The Festival of Britain
A riot of colour in austerity Britain, the Festival of Britain helped transform British manufacturing and design
The Garden Egg Chair
Behind the story of the Garden Egg Chair's mass production lies a fascinating tale of Germany's East/West relations
Post-war textiles
Chart the progression of post-war textile design, from wartime utility to atomic-era patterns, abstract art, psychedelia and nostalgic florals
Ashley Havinden and the 'Britain Can Make It' poster
Explore the development of Ashley Havinden's patriotic poster for the landmark 1946 exhibition, 'Britain Can Make It'.
Dieter Rams – a brave new world of product design
Dieter Rams' revolutionary SK4 record player kick-started a brave new world of product design
British design stories
How the post-war legacy of 'good design' continues to influence contemporary British designers
Fashion unpicked: The 'Bar' suit by Christian Dior
Watch dressmaking expert and V&A volunteer, Sue Clark, as she examines Christian Dior's 'Bar' suit
Robin Hood Gardens
Discover the history of Robin Hood Gardens – a defining example of Brutalist architecture and social housing, as a three-storey section is acquired by the V&A
Space-Age chairs
Bold, futuristic, out-of-this-world – discover five iconic space-age chair designs
Introducing Mary Quant
The most iconic fashion designer of the 1960s, Mary Quant's witty, irreverent clothing was critical to the 'Swinging Sixties' scene
Vivienne Westwood: punk, new romantic and beyond
Track the development of Westwood's truly unique career in fashion – from the edgy printed T-shirts of the punk years, to sumptuous ballgowns
Lucienne Day – an introduction
Of all the talented women textile designers of post-war Britain, Lucienne Day's influence is the most far-reaching
An introduction to 1960s fashion
Discover how a new kind of fashion helped mark the arrival of the modern age
The Rolling Stones tongue and lips logo
Discover the fascinating story about how a young RCA student was commissioned to produce one of the world's most iconic logos
Header image: Festival of Britain (detail), poster, Abram Games, 1951, UK. Museum no. E.311-2011. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London