The Festival of Britain Commemorative Medal
Medal
1951 (made)
1951 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is the Festival of Britain Commemorative Medal.
The Festival of Britain was a nationwide celebration that looked to an optimistic future beyond post-war austerity. It was a huge success and attracted around 18 million people. The symbol, devised by Abram Games, the ‘Festival Star’ – a stylised portrait of Britannia with a star in the colours of the Union flag – appeared throughout the Festival. George Campbell, whose name appears on this medal, was the Festival's Director of Finance.
The Festival of Britain was a nationwide celebration that looked to an optimistic future beyond post-war austerity. It was a huge success and attracted around 18 million people. The symbol, devised by Abram Games, the ‘Festival Star’ – a stylised portrait of Britannia with a star in the colours of the Union flag – appeared throughout the Festival. George Campbell, whose name appears on this medal, was the Festival's Director of Finance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Festival of Britain Commemorative Medal (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, struck and enamelled |
| Brief description | Medal, gold, The Festival of Britain Commemorative Medal, cast by Vaughtons Ltd, England (Birmingham), 1951 |
| Physical description | Obverse: a helmeted head in profile facing left, whose stylised shoulders and body form a three-pointed star above a flagged semi-circle, with the figures 1951, the whole in red, blue and white enamel with gold delineations, raised against a gold background. Reverse: Within a laurel wreath inscribed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | '1951 / Festival of Britain / Mr G A Campbell / Director / Festival / Pleasure Gardens' (reverse) |
| Object history | Bought from Spink & Son for £ 115, by the Post 1920 Departmental Grant, in 1980. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is the Festival of Britain Commemorative Medal. The Festival of Britain was a nationwide celebration that looked to an optimistic future beyond post-war austerity. It was a huge success and attracted around 18 million people. The symbol, devised by Abram Games, the ‘Festival Star’ – a stylised portrait of Britannia with a star in the colours of the Union flag – appeared throughout the Festival. George Campbell, whose name appears on this medal, was the Festival's Director of Finance. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.95-1980 |
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| Record created | May 4, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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