Held from May to September 1951, the Festival of Britain was a momentous event in British and international history. The spectacular festival was staged by the British government just six years after the end of World War II, and as such it signaled a new era of hope and optimism for the 20th century. Showcasing the latest in internationally manufactured products, the event included ground-breaking examples of textiles, furniture, graphic design, architecture and more.
Organizers went to town with the event, staging a series of pop-up buildings and fairground attractions, drawing in crowds from near and far. While some criticized the Festival of Britain for its ostentatious display of wealth at a time when the country was still recovering from austerity and rationing, many more praised its significance in boosting public morale, and reasserting Britain as a place of cultural significance following the devastation of war. We look closer at a handful of the event’s key roles.
The Festival of Britain Was Intended as a ‘Tonic for the Nation’
Above all else, the main purpose of the Festival of Britain was to raise the morale of the British public, at a time when many had faced significant change, upheaval and hardship, both during and after World War II. The show stopping nature of the event drew in more than 8.5 million people, who flocked to the main stage at London’s South Bank, and to a series of smaller, related events in cities and towns throughout the rest of the UK.
A Showcase for Modernist Design
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Sign up to our Free Weekly NewsletterThe Festival of Britain was a true showcase for breakthrough modernist design, including, most prominently, architecture, furniture, and textiles. Architecture played a significant role, reimaging areas of London that had been badly damaged during the war. Some buildings were temporary, while others, including the Royal Festival Hall, are still standing today. Furniture design by Ernest Race, Andrew John Milne and Robin Day demonstrated the rising trend for mid-century modernism, with domestic furniture that embraced industrial materials and stylized curving forms. Meanwhile textile designers Lucienne Day, Joyce Clissold and John Barker presented their daring new designs and successfully launched international careers following the event.
Science, Engineering and Technology
As well as presenting world-leading design, the Festival of Britain also presented the latest innovations within the fields of science, engineering and technology, which drew in crowds from far and wide. A star attraction was the Dome of Discovery, a purpose built dome- the largest in the world at the time – housing a series of exhibitions related to spectacular natural wonders, including the sea, the sky, Polar regions and outer space. The Telekinema, an experimental new cinema space, was another prominent attraction at the South Bank site with 400 seats, and a state-of-the-art screen for presenting 3D films. Meanwhile, the Science Museum in South Kensington constructed a new wing for presenting the Exhibition of Science.
Fairground Attractions
A great crowd puller and morale-booster during the Festival of Britain was the large-scale funfair, featuring Pleasure Gardens, fairground rides and a series of staged events. One particularly popular feature of the funfair district was the Guinness Festival Clock, a 25-foot clock sponsored by the Beermaker Guinness, which had rotating mechanical features, and decorations inspired by characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Meanwhile, the fairground offered up a Big Dipper, a Bubble Bounce, a Loop-O-Plane and the Sky Wheels, with rides shipping from the United States that had never been seen before in the UK. While the funfair was originally intended to be a temporary feature in London, their enduring popularity during the 1950s meant many rides remained in place for a decade or longer.
