Britain Can Make It
britain make exhibition industrial product design held victoria albert museum london organised council industrial design later become design council even end world war ii recognised postwar reconstruction manufacturing international trade exported good would require widespread acceptance industrial design part future british manufacturing accordingly council industrial design founded board trade one first quango september month end war council announced national exhibition design main range consumer good held following year britain make exhibition organized largely instigation council director sc leslie design exhibition coordinated chief display designer james gardner exhibition held september november victoria albert museum london part reason choosing venue many museum main exhibit still wartime evacuation storage outside london venue undamaged bombing empty available need attraction restore prewar visitor major theme exhibition didactic particular display industrial design mean first major commission misha black design research unit black display birth egg cup role designer presented crucial interchange various aspect design production rather merely showcasing good offer exhibition display particular propagandist attempt highlight need update british approach product design manufacturing successful postwar competition audience twofold general public yet unused notion design distinct process also existing manufacturer clung prewar victorian notion run manufacturing industry black design display deliberately eyecatching foot high plaster egg entrance continuallyoperating plastic moulding press making three thousand egg cup per day exhibition use working model particular commented survey exhibition visitor carried mass observation another design research unit exhibit design scale model railway coach doubledecked third class sleeper represented two innovation britain indicative egalitarian age first sleeper third class rather first also technical development fitting two level restricted british loading gauge use well car popular reaction press term britain cant country still grip wartime austerity measure good display intended export reaction attending exhibition varied general public design intelligentsia manufacturer critic john gloags reaction highly positive congratulating exhibition organiser intellectual quality exhibition also achievement producing time austerity public reaction less sophisticated still positive view generally simply wanting product shop could actually buy real criticism came established manufacturer largely failed appreciate exhibition attempt emphasise design still judged simple shopwindow display prewar product festival britain maguire patrick joseph woodham jonathan design cultural politics postwar britain leicester university press isbn woodham jonathan design everyday life britain make exhibition stripe spot white wood homespun versus chintzy armchair iron bedstead brass knob journal architecture issn britain make lovely poster february poster graphic art bcmi designing britain online resource design council archive comprehensive collection digitised photograph digitised negative britain make archive hub king open britain make exhibition british pathé film