Lecturer: Marc Allum
The 1951 Festival Of Britain was established to celebrate the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition but also to give post-war Britain a morale-boost. It was ‘a tonic to the nation’, showing its abilities in design, architecture, construction, etc, but was also a showcase to the world. The budget was £12 million (£270 million in today’s money).
The centrepieces were The Dome of Discovery (a futuristic building, echoes of which may be found in the O2 Millennium Dome) and Skylon.
Both were destroyed at the end of the festival with Skylon being toppled into the Thames, seemingly at the instigation of then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. The original model of that may be seen at the Museum of London.
The festival took place nationwide. Displays were installed on HMS Campania, which travelled around the coast of Britain, stopping at different locations. There were local pageant parades and street parties.
The Pleasure Gardens were a huge leisure attraction to Londoners, being free and open daily until 11 pm, receiving 8.5 million visitors.
In addition to Royal Mail commemorative stamps, visitors to the festival could buy souvenirs, such as a Wedgewood mug, jigsaw puzzles, a site model and Skylon Biros.
One interesting and diverting aspect was that Marc pulled together recollections from some audience members who had been to the festival, which brought additional viewpoints into the lecture.
Marc commented that the festival achieved its aim in pushing Britain forward. It was a beacon for change after the food shortages and bomb sites and helped to revitalise the nation while remaining apolitical.
+Its legacy may be seen in fabrics, furniture, art and architecture.
The Royal Festival Hall is the only surviving building that was built specifically for the festival, but if you find yourself walking along Oxford Street in London and reach number 219, look up and you will see a number of friezes.
The building was designed by Ronald Ward and the friezes depict the festival logo, the Festival Hall and the alien-looking Skylon among other lost architectural heritage.
As well as being a freelance art and antiques writer, consultant and lecturer, Marc Allum is probably best known to audiences as a Miscellaneous Specialist for over 25 years on the Antiques Roadshow. For this lecture, he certainly met that particular broadcaster’s remit – “high quality and distinctive output…which inform, educate and entertain.”
