This little cut-out was given to me some years ago by Abram Games, designer of the 1951 Festival of Britain logo. Having just rediscovered it between the pages of my copy of 'A Tonic to the Nation', the catalogue of the exhibition staged by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1976 to mark the Festival's 25th anniversary, I thought it was high time that the little ballerinas danced once more. Also shown is the original invitation for 'Black Eyes and Lemonade', the exhibition of British popular art organised by the Whitechapel Art Gallery under the direction of Barbara Jones. Bringing up the rear, a copy of the general catalogue for the Festival, also featuring Games' iconic design of Britannia's head with compass points. He once told me that he added the string of bunting as an afterthought when the organizers decided it would lend the design a more festive touch.
Incredible! I'll link to this from the "Black Eyes" post, and also link to your blog. (I love 'Piper at the Gates of War.') Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteI remember talking to Abram Games on the evening we decided to form the Festival of Britain Society and he referred to the 'bunting' as looking like a washing line. He hated it. His daughter, Naomi has written a very good book about the symbol 'A Symbol for the Festival', published by Capital Books.
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