2019-06-01 Homes and Gardens

curvedaluminiumroofweredisplays

illustratingscientificdiscoveries.The

popularLionandUnicornpavilion

exploredaspectsofBritishidentity;lion

forcourage,unicornforhumourand

eccentricity.Therewasa Homesand

Gardens pavilion, too. It showcased a

muralbyJohnPiperandopen-plan

living/diningroomsdesignedby

RobinDayfeaturinghisfurniture

andnewtextilesbyhiswifeLucienne

Day.Herecalledonevisitorsaying

toanother,‘Canyouimagine anyone

livingwiththosechairs?’

Thefestivalwasalsorepresentedin

townsacrossthecountrywithIndustrial

PowershowinginGlasgowandFarm

andFactorythesubjectofa Belfast

exhibition.Smallerexhibitionsvisited

coastalcitiesinthefestivalship

Campania. Thenandnow,it was

deemeda hugesuccess.Bythetime

it wasover,a progressivemoodhad

takenrootinarchitecture,furniture

andtextiledesignwhichcontinuedto

blossom through the following decades.

■ 1951 Festivalvisitors
couldsitontheAntelope
chairbyErnestRace.
A committeemember
declaredit was‘miles
ahead’ofotherdesigns.
Itsballfeetplayedonthe
molecularimagerythat
fascinated the decade.

style landmarks from the decade

■ 1955 WilliamRussell

andPeterHobbs

producedthefirst

automaticelectrickettle.

Whensteamwasforced

throughanopening

betweentwostripsof

metal,it flickedtheswitch

to turn off the kettle.

■ 1951 LucienneDay

designedCalyxfabricfor

theHomesandGardens

pavilion,butfirsthadto

persuadea company

tofundproduction.Its

abstractshapeswere

aninstanthitandiconic

for Fifties fabric design.

■ 1956 DesignerEero

Saarinenbuiltmany

modelsofhisTulipdining

furnituretoachievea

perfectcurveonthe

pedestalbaseandsolve

the‘ugly,confusing,

unrestfulworld’he

saw beneath tables.

photographS

(AnTELoPE

CHAIR)

RACE

FuRnITuRE;

(CALyx FAbRIC ) CLASSIC TExTILES; (TuLIP FuRnITuRE) KnoLL

1951 1951 1955 1956 1957

1950 – 1959

Design moment

In this series, Celia Rufey looksat events that shapedthe

way we design today. This month: The Festival of Britain

PRomoTeDas‘a tonictothenation’

asthecountryrebuiltitselffollowingthe

SecondWorldWar,the 1951 Festivalof

Britainwasa countrywidecelebration

oftheUK’shistoryandachievements.

Forfivemonths,variouseventsexplored

industry,science,theartsand

architectureina sortofnationwide

promotionalextravaganzanotseen

sincePrinceAlbert’sGreatexhibition,

exactlya centurybefore.

Themainfestivalsitewaslocated

alongthesouthbankoftheThames

wherebombsiteswereclearedaround

theRoyalFestivalHall,thenewcentre

forthecity’sculturallifeandtheonly

permanentstructuretoremainafterthe

festival.TheDomeofDiscoverywas

the largest structure and under its

■ 1957 black-and-white

Homemakertableware

designedbyEnidSeeney

forRidgwayPotteries

referenceditems

familiarinmanyFifties

homes,fromboomerang

tablestostandardlamps,

cutlery and corkscrews.