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Festival of Britain Commemorative Handkerchief

14th November 2013

I thought you might like to see this original vintage handkerchief that I bought recently from an antiques fair.  It is from the Festival of Britain, which was a government-sponsored exhibition that occurred nationwide in the summer of 1951.  Its aim was to promote post-war recovery and promote the British contribution to science, technology, industrial design, architecture and the arts.  It captured a mood of optimism for the future at a time when the economy and society was being rebuilt and the people could finally enjoy Peace after so many years of war and post-war austerity. 
There were perhaps two main currents within the design trends.  On one hand, it was generally believed that, in the future, modern Science, Technology and Industrial Design would provide the answers to Life’s problems.  Within both two- and three-dimenstional design work there was a strong theme of Modernity.  Designs which represented close-ups of atomic structures were a popular trend as were designs that resembled molecular diagrams.  On the other hand, another important trend within the Festival could be traced directly back to William Morris and  arose from a desire to reform society and to “infiltrate beauty into everyday life”, to bring Art and good design to the people.
Underpinning all this was the rockbed of British History.  King George VI was still on the throne in 1951, but it was known that his health was failing.  George VI had stayed in London and tirelessly visited British towns throughout the War and had been a source of inspiration and comfort and a very popular King, but it was known that, before long, Princess Elizabeth would become Queen.  Commentators were beginning to talk about “the new Elizabethan age”.  I remember my father talking about how he participated in the Festival of Britain as a young man; how its ideals and approach influenced him and what an exciting time it was.
The handkerchief design contains the central Festival of Britain logo with several heraldic motifs and focusses upon pivotal moments within British history: signing the Magna Carta, the Battle of Trafalgar, Queen Boadicea and The nighting of Sir Francis Drake.
SAM_1923
SAM_1927

Posted in News by Laura

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It’s coming home! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 To celebrate, take 15% off our website all weekend with code: HOME at checkout ⚽️ Hurry it ends Tuesday 🌿
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When cutting fabric stacks, we always wonder what is being made from them, we often get messages about quilts being stitched together with various tonal colours, curtains ready to be part of daily life or dresses being sewn to be worn to the next big event, so if you ever make anything from our fabrics- whether it be a huge project or a tiny one made of our scrap bundles, do let us know what you make! 🪡🧵
Can you name the designs within the photo? All sold by the half meter, £18.50 per metre of cotton, £20.50 per metre of heavyweight cotton 🫶🏻
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From 1st July, our product prices will be increasing due to continued rises in manufacturing and material costs.
We’ve worked hard to absorb these increases for as long as possible, but to continue providing the quality you expect from us, a small price adjustment is now necessary.
Every product we create is proudly printed and manufactured here in the UK, using high-quality materials and processes that ensure a finish we’re proud of. Our fabrics are all digitally printed to give a crisp finish.
If you’ve been thinking about placing an order, now is the perfect time — all orders placed before 1st July will be at our current prices.
To thank you for your support, we’re offering an exclusive discount before the new prices take effect.
Use code: thankyou
Enjoy 10% off your order until 14th June
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