Girl's dress made from a fabric printed with landmarks and logos from the Festival of Britain, 1951.

Girl's dress made from cream cotton fabric printed with landmarks and logos of the Festival of Britain in reds, greens, yellows and blues. The dress has high round neck with a thin tied bow, puffed short sleeves with shoulder pads and an attached frill around the front and back forming a scoop neck shape. There are cream plastic buttons that run down the back of the dress opening to the waist. There is a concealed metal side zip and an attached sash of the same fabric around the waist that ties at the back in a bow. The waist line is fitted with a flared skirt at the bottom reaching to around the knee. Both the hem of the dress and the sleeve ends have been finished with a red bordered part of the fabric with a repeat pattern of the festival star originally designed by Abram Games.

Given by Jean Jefcoate

This dress has been donated by the original owner, Jean Jefcoate, nee Hammond who was born on 6 November 1940. Jean grew up in the small town of Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire. Her parents were originally from rural mid Wales but settled in Ashby de la Zouch after the war and ran a butcher's shop in the town.

The dress was given to Jean in the summer of 1951 shortly before her 11th birthday in the November of that year. The dress was a well loved item and Jean fondly remembers wearing it for Sunday best and also for occasions such as the church fete at the Ashby de la Zouch Bath grounds.
As an adult Jean gained a scholarship to the Royal academy of Music in London and became a professional soprano.

This dress is made from a fabric printed with landmarks and logos from the Festival of Britain that took place in London's South bank in 1951. The fabric comprises a repeat pattern of the festival star designed by Abram Games along the hem and dotted around in the main portion of the fabric. There are brightly coloured and stylised scenes of iconic landmarks from the Festival, including the Skylon and the Royal Festival Hall and the date of the festival, 1951. The dress has a typical style of the 1950s and is complete with shoulder pads and pretty puffed sleeves. It is fondly remembered by the donor, Jean, having been worn from the summer of 1951 when she was 10, initially for Sunday best, and subsequently on special occasions.

B.159-2011