#britaincanmakeit

[englishmodernism]

Turning swords into ploughshares Britain Can Make It The catalogue from the 1946 BCMI exhibition which pointed the way to a brighter modern and prosperous new Britain. It was a brave and adventurous show and hugely popular with crowds stretching outside the V&A to glimpse the offerings. The only problem was that rationing and issues of returning industry after the war meant that many of the products on show were unavailable to buy and the exhibition was quickly labeled Britain Can't Have It, by some in the press. #britaincanmakeit #V&A #austerity #modernbritain #councilofindustrialdesign

[englishmodernism]

Midget Books Trekkie Ritchie Four tiny books, published by Chatto & Windus c1944, and autolithographed by Trekkie Ritchie. These miniature books are sometimes labelled as 'shelter books' small enough to be taken into a shelter to while away the hours until the all clear. These were featured in the exhibition 'Books Across the Ocean' which travelled across the USA, and also selected as good examples of printing in the 1946 Britain Can Make It exhibition at the V&A. #trekkieritchie #chatto&windus #miniaturebooks #midgetbooks #wartimepublishing #shelterbooks #britaincanmakeit #V&A #lithography

[englishmodernism]

Shhhhh! Dorothy Chapman Xmas card commissioned by Noel Carrington for Royle Publications c1946. The Royle Greetings cards were exhibited at the Britain Can Make It Exhibition as exemplars of modern design. In the 1960s they boasted that there wasn't a mantelpiece in the country that didn't feature a Royle card at Xmas, probably at least one by Badmin. #dorothychapman #roylegreetingscards #noelcarrington #britaincanmakeit