Victory V thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Victory V

Dress Fabric
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
TitleVictory 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
  • Length: 120cm
  • Width: 69cm
Production typeMass produced
Gallery label
(2021)
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.
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 createdMarch 31, 2005
Record URL
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