Not currently on display at the V&A

Head Square

1948 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This printed head square commemorates the London Olympic Games of 1948. The Olympic stadium is depicted with the sites of London behind. Jacqmar is written in black in the bottom right.

Head squares were worn widely during and after the Second World War, and a number of creative manufacturers commissioned fine artists as well as textile designers to come up with innovative designs. During war-time shortages, these scarves were often made in a mixture of natural and man-made fibres – silk and rayon or pure rayon. In the immediate post-war years, Jacqmar advertised its products as being dominated by pure silk, in high fashion magazines such as Vogue in the UK and abroad.

Jacqmar was a London-based textile manufacturer who developed a fashion house after the Second World War. The company was listed in commercial directories from 1936 to 1972, firstly as Jacqmar Fabrics (1936) and subsequently as Jacqmar Ltd Fabrics (1942). This branch of the company gained a reputation for quality printed head squares from 1941 and through the 1950s, and was noted for its patriotic scarves illustrating aspects of wartime Britain.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed rayon
Brief description
Head square commemorating the London Olympic games of 1948, made by Jacqmar, Britain, 1948
Physical description
Printed head square commemorating the London Olympic games of 1948. The Olympic stadium is depicted with the sites of London behind. Jacqmar is written in black in the bottom right.
Dimensions
  • Width: 81cm
  • Length: 78cm
Production typeLimited edition
Credit line
Given by Mrs. B.A. Huckle
Production
Reason For Production: Commemorative
Summary
This printed head square commemorates the London Olympic Games of 1948. The Olympic stadium is depicted with the sites of London behind. Jacqmar is written in black in the bottom right.

Head squares were worn widely during and after the Second World War, and a number of creative manufacturers commissioned fine artists as well as textile designers to come up with innovative designs. During war-time shortages, these scarves were often made in a mixture of natural and man-made fibres – silk and rayon or pure rayon. In the immediate post-war years, Jacqmar advertised its products as being dominated by pure silk, in high fashion magazines such as Vogue in the UK and abroad.

Jacqmar was a London-based textile manufacturer who developed a fashion house after the Second World War. The company was listed in commercial directories from 1936 to 1972, firstly as Jacqmar Fabrics (1936) and subsequently as Jacqmar Ltd Fabrics (1942). This branch of the company gained a reputation for quality printed head squares from 1941 and through the 1950s, and was noted for its patriotic scarves illustrating aspects of wartime Britain.
Collection
Accession number
T.83-2000

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 30, 2001
Record URL
Download as: JSON