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THE FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN

PRIMARY MATERIAL, MULLEN COLLECTION



1.

THIS JOKE CAME TRUE FEBRUARY February 1951 Emmett's railway under construction
LONDON BELIEVE IT OR NOT June 1951 The site opened, the Dome and the Festival Hall
LET'S CELEBRATE OURSELVES May 1951 what others are saying, double page site plan and diagram +detail
FROM MUD TO FESTIVAL June 1951 a comprehensive photographic survey of building progress, the site before starting.
THE POLL OF DISCOVERY June 1951 Erich Auerbach's photographs of consumer response "They came, they saw, and almost all were conquered."
THE FESTIVAL BEGINS AT HOME January 1951 Kurt Hutton's photographs of how communities outside London are responding
THE FESTIVAL IS BRITAIN'S January 1951 Gerald Barry's article on the history and significance of the Exhibition. Map of provincial shows. Film Makers. Model of a Blast Furnace. James Gardner at work.Building the Switchback. Myfanwy Piper models a screen. A Folly in Cane. Gardens' main vista modelled by Piper and Osbert Lancaster. Victor Pasmore working on the Restaurant Mural. Frank Dobson, Michael O'Connell. Barbara Hepworth. Prehistory carved. Richard Huus' fountain.

2.

SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT, December 2 1950 Herbert Morrison defends the Exhibition. The site seen from Waterloo. Aerial photograph of the site under construction. Herbert Morrison and under the Dome. The Coal Mine Shaft. Empty gallery intended for the model ships. The Mermaid. Funfair attractions
THE OTHER FESTIVAL December 1950 looking back at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1936. King and Queen on the Miniature Railway. George with bowler hat on the Helter Skelter.
ANY MORE FOR THE SKYLON? NIGHT AND DAY June 1951 double page photograph of the site at night. Visitors looking up at the Skylon photographed by R.Saidman.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS THAT HAVE COME April 1951 Captain Cook and his men modelled by Norman Cornish for the Dome of Discovery. Mischa Black and Ian Cox inspect a telescope. Margaret Chester's Giant Birds. Giant Sloth made by Edward Gerrard. A Leech exhibition from 1851, Dr Merryweather's device.
ART- FOR THE FESTIVAL'S SAKE March 1951 F.E.McWilliam figures of the seasons.Eduardo Paolozzi's The Cage for organic forms. Robert Meadows Saw Sculpture. John Minton. Ruskin Spear. henry Lamb's Night Life.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE DECEMBER 1949 Gerald Barry and Lord Ismay discuss a model of the site before construction
MCGINTY AT THE FESTIVAL AUGUST 1951 a double page cartoon of Battersea Park.
SIXTY PAINTINGS FOR '51, complete catalogue, preamble, list of exhibits and the complete plates (b and w)
25 for 51, Sheffield City Art Gallary, catalogue summary, Ben Nicholson and other published responses
THE FESTIVAL OF PUNCH, APRIL 1951 menu ,2. Adverts 2. Then and Now 3. Some cartoons 4 Double pages, 5. Emmett's The Palace of Culture 6.The Views of the British 7 Leaflet for the issue of PUNCH 8. The BBC - the Book Exhibition at the V & A designed by Hulme Chadwick.

 

3.

PRINTED PUBLICITY AT THE FESTIVAL, PENROSE 1952 article by Paul Reilly - the symbol - the type - posters for provincial events - determinign style - official publicity - unofficial publicity
LETTERING AND THE FESTIVAL, 1952 Nikolaus Pevsner , bare surfaces to be enriched (cf Stockholm 1930) , Gordon Cullen advisor for external lettering. Various examples around the site.
PENROSE, INDICATIVE IMAGES 1952 the Skylon and ships, The Pavilion of Power and Production. The shot tower. The Skylon at Night. Sea and Ships. Skylon and Dome. Detail of the South Bank. The Staircase to sea and ships. The Transport Pavilion. The site after dark. The Lion and Unicorn Pavilion. Royal Festival Hall Interior. Fabrics by British Designers.
THE GREATEST COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT... Graphis , extensive article by Paul reilly on the cultural achievement of the Festival Exhibition and product design. 22pp.
ADVERTISEMENTS AND MAGAZINE COVERS Mr Therm. Siemens. Costains. Horsley Bridge Piggott. Rowntree's Fruit Gum. press ad single page for the Exhibition January 1951. PUNCH cover. Clark Shoes. WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED cover May 1951. Costain, Horsley. BICC.
SOUTH BANK SCULPTURE, Image 7 1952 Hugh Casson writes. Epstein Aspiring Youth. Dobson London Pride. Hepworth Contrapuntal Forms. Moore Reclining Figure. Daphne Hardy, Standing Girl. Hepworth Revolving Form in Plaster. Reg Butler Free Standing Iron Sculpture. Karin Jonzen, standing coloured figure.
FESTIVAL GUIDE paperback, complete set of diagrams of the various pavilions. A Guide to the Story it tells by Ian Cox. HMSO. The way to go round. The Centrepiece, the South Bank Site. List of principal events. List of illustrations.
FESTIVAL BROCHURE The Official Book written by Basil Taylor and printed by Lund Humphries. The Autobiography of a Nation. The Dome of Discovery. The Land and the People. The Pleasure Gardens Battersea. Architecture at Poplar. Science at South Kensington. The Arts in London. The Festival Church. Industrial Power/ Coal and water. Farm and Factory. The Festical in Cardiff. Shakespeare and his Histories. The Bath Assembly. The Theatre in Scotland Today. The Arts at Bournemouth. Exhibitions by Sea and Land. Managing Personnel.
FESTIVAL FANTASIA August 1951 by night , Battersea glows every night; Fireworks ; photographs by R.Saidman. Grand Vista arcade. Candelabras.
ABOUT BRITAIN GUIDE BOOKS, TITLEPAGES,published by Collins for the Festival. West Country, East Midlands, Home Counties, Chilterns to Black Country, Lowlands of Scotland, Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Northern ireland, Wessex. Kenneth Rowntree, Barbara Jones,
ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL AS ENGINEERING, Festival of Britain 1951, some examples of Britain's contributions to Engineering, R.W.Mountain , Association of Consulting Engineers.
SCULPTURE 1850 AND 1950, Battersea 1957. LCC (Charles Wheeler)

4.

DESIGN IN THE FESTIVAL, 1951 an illustrated review of British Goods.full brochure, published for the Council of Industrial design. The Scottish Committee of the Council of Industrial Desig. Foreword by Ismay and Edwrads. Essay by Gordon Russell. Furniture, Fabrics, Light Fittings, Design in the Kitchen. Design for Leisure. Keepsakes of 1951. Printing Design. Toys. Mechanisation on the Farm. Motor Cars and Cycles.
FLAIR SPREAD, Jan 1951 double page illustraion with motifs from the Exhibition, dated 1950 Barbara Jones
COURIER MAGAZINE 1950 The South Bank story by Peter Browne, with several opages of the site before and during construction.
GILLETTE SHAVING ADVERTISEMENT The Gilette Festival set of razor and blades. May 1951 (single)
SINEWS OF SHOWMANSHIP, COURIER 1950 C.M./John's article with photographs, The Buildings of the South Bank Exhibition are no mere shelter for 15,000 exhibits, but an architectural adventure in construction and design.
WOPPA PEAS AND THE DOME OF DISCOVERY What a WOPPA ! Here's a real discovery (single) February 1951
NORWICH CELEBRATES, A MUNICIPAL BROCHURE Welcome to Norwich in Festival Year. The Norwich Festival Society. Grand Vista. Balinese Dancing. Bamboo figures

 

5.

BATTERSEA PLEASURE GARDENS September 1951 Has all this come to stay ? Hall of Centaurs and Playland. Dance Pavilion. Fun Fair.
BATTERSEA TODAY AND THEN, my photographs of the area July 2015
BATTERSEA SCULPTURE Exhibition Catalogue, Battersea Park exhibition of Sculpture May to September 1951 . Nikolaus Pevsner, The Sculptor's Problems and a handlist of 44 exhibited pieces
GUINNESS CLOCK (Lewitt-Him) - single as made by Baume and Co

 

DESIGN - ITS PLACE IN MODERN INDUSTRY,

Britain Can Make it, FUTURE BOOKS Vol IV, 1947 INTERVIEW with Norbert Dutton.

 

EXHIBITION OF BOOKS, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM (3 GALLERIES)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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