British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

© Jamie Reid.
Photograph by Victoria and Albert Museum

Journal • Design

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

Exhibition celebrates Britain's post-war feats of design excellence...

James Davidson •

From the swinging ’60s, through punk and onto Factory records and The Haçienda. Margaret Calvert’s road signage, to the E-Type’s that whizzed passed them. Richard Rogers’ Lloyd’s building and Norman Foster’s Gherkin, the uncompromising intensity of McQueen and Westwood; and names like Tom Dixon, Damien Hirst, David Bailey and Peter Saville. Great Britain has always been synonymous with Great Design and, in a year when the world’s attention is firmly anchored on our shores, the Victoria and Albert Museum celebrate our post-war feats of design excellence with British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age.

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

‘Torsion’ chair
Brian Long, 1971
By kind permission of Brian Long / Photograph © Victoria and Albert Museum

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

Jaguar E-Type, 1961
Jaguar Heritage

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

V&A Images

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

V&A Images

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympic Games
Zaha Hadid Architects

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

“Even to spark out now would be no pain”
Poster promoting the “Anti-Art Fair” with a portrait of Trojan
Designed by John Maybury, 1986
Courtesy of John Maybury © Victoria and Albert Museum

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

V&A Images

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

‘The Family’ in Harlow town centre
Henry Moore, 1954
Harlow Art Trust. Photograph Henk Snoek / RIBA Library Photographs Collection
Reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir for the Ministry of Transport, 1964
© Margaret Calvert

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

‘Antelope’ outdoor bench
Ernest Race for the Festival of Britain 1951
© Victoria and Albert Museum

British Design 1948–2012 at the V&A

Alexander McQueen, 2009
Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images