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Britain Can Make It

Poster
1946 (designed), 1946 (issued)
Artist/Maker
Haycock Press Ltd. (printers)
Havinden, Ashley (designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (issued)

'Britain Can Make It'. Colour lithograph poster advertising the exhibition organised by the Council of Industrial Design, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 24 September – 31 October 1946. The design shows a multi-coloured banner flag, with the text advertising the exhibition, on a white pole set against a pale-blue background. Signed and dated 'ASHLEY 1946'.

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read Ashley Havinden and the 'Britain Can Make It' poster Held at the V&A in 1946, 'Britain Can Make It' was a landmark post-war exhibition, showcasing the best of modern British design. Margaret Timmers, former Senior Curator of Prints at the V&A, explores the development of Ashley Havinden's patriotic exhibition poster, revealing a fascinating ...

Object details

Categories
Prints
Advertising
Tiles
History of the V&A
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleBritain Can Make It
Materials and techniques
Colour lithography
Printing Ink
Colour Lithography
Brief description
'Britain Can Make It'. Colour lithograph poster advertising the exhibition organised by the Council of Industrial Design, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 24 September – 31 October 1946. The design shows a multi-coloured banner flag set against a pale-blue background. Designed by Ashley Havinden. Great Britain. 1946.
Physical description
'Britain Can Make It'. Colour lithograph poster advertising the exhibition organised by the Council of Industrial Design, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 24 September – 31 October 1946. The design shows a multi-coloured banner flag, with the text advertising the exhibition, on a white pole set against a pale-blue background. Signed and dated 'ASHLEY 1946'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 73.5cm
  • Width: 48.9cm
Dimensions taken from: Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'ASHLEY / 1946' (Signed and dated, top-right corner of sheet.)
  • 'THE COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN PRESENTS' (Lettered along flag pole.)
  • 'BRITAIN CAN / MAKE IT / EXHIBITION / VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM / SEPT 24 - OCT 31' (Lettered along flag.)
  • 'ADMISSION 1'- DAILY 10 AM - 10 PM, SUNDAYS 2.30 PM-6PM' (Lettered in purple along bottom of design.)
  • 'UNDERGROUND TO SOUTH KENSINGTON BUSES 14,30,49,74,96' (Lettered, in blue then green, along bottom of design.)
  • 'PRINTED FOR H.M.STATIONERY OFFICE BY HAYCOCK PRESS, LONDON 51-2311' (Bottom-right corner of sheet.)
  • 'KITCHENS / POTTERY / TEXTILES / TOYS / LIVING ROOMS / JEWELLERY / FURNISHINGS / GLASS / RADIOS / LABOUR SAVERS / NURSERIES / TRAINS / BOOKS / PLASTICS / DRESS' (Lettered in white against the pale-blue ground.)
Subjects depicted
Exhibition
Banner
Flag
Crowns (Headdresses)
Bibliographic references
  • Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
  • Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1971
Other number
18/A9 - V&A microfiche
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
CIRC.459-1971

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1035262/britain-can-make-it-poster-havinden-ashley/
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