Victory V
Dress Fabric
1941 (made)
1941 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'Victory V' was produced by the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester in 1941. Originally formed in 1899, by 1949 the Calico Printer's Association was the largest commissioning printers in the UK. This design is an example of textiles with patriotic messages that were produced during the Second World War and were issued mainly as dress fabrics. Calico Printers and other textile manufacturers produced innovative and witty designs inspired by the feelings of the public during the war. Such designs proved popular with the public as they reflected the sense of national unity. In 'Victory V', the border of three dots and a dash represents the Morse code for 'V' for victory.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Victory V (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed cotton |
| Brief description | Dress fabric 'Victory V' of printed cotton, made by Calico Printers' Association, Manchester, 1941 |
| Physical description | Dress fabric of printed cotton. Brown ground with word 'VICTORY' repeatedly printed in white. Blanked out areas filled with images of planes and letter 'V's, some filled with planes or falling bombs and others formed by pointing hands. A border design is printed up each selvedge created by letter 'V's and three dots and a dash representing the Morse code for 'V' for victory. The pattern is laid out across the warp so requires the fabric to be hung or used sideways. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Gallery label | Fashioning a sense of optimism during war
Dress fabric with military symbolism
‘Victory V’, 1941
Manufactured by the Calico Printers’ Association, UK
Printed cotton
Museum no. CIRC.510-1974
The object sits in the 'Crisis and Conflict' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.
(2021) |
| Production | Reason For Production: Retail Unusually the design is printed across the warp, meaning that the fabric would not be suitable for conventional European dress making. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | 'Victory V' was produced by the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester in 1941. Originally formed in 1899, by 1949 the Calico Printer's Association was the largest commissioning printers in the UK. This design is an example of textiles with patriotic messages that were produced during the Second World War and were issued mainly as dress fabrics. Calico Printers and other textile manufacturers produced innovative and witty designs inspired by the feelings of the public during the war. Such designs proved popular with the public as they reflected the sense of national unity. In 'Victory V', the border of three dots and a dash represents the Morse code for 'V' for victory. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.510-1974 |
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| Record created | March 31, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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