Ladybird Modernism – Live!

It may not have passed you by that there has been a very successful exhibiton of Ladybird book artwork at the De Le Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, which has just transferred to the House of Illustration in London's King Cross.


I saw the exhibition in Bexhill and loved it – so much original artwork mounted and on display, and when it's brought together you get the impression of how remarkable these books were, and the artists who illustrated them.


Turns out they must have seen my three posts on Ladybird modernism (one, two and three), or my talk at the Boring conference in 2014. And so I have been asked to do a talk as part of the exhibition.

It's on 17 September 2015, 7:00pm – 9:00pm (though the talk itself will last an hour, the rest is a chance to explore the show/geek out). You can get tickets here.


From the joys of high-rise living and the beauty of modern interior design to the arrival of new motorways, airports and technology, Ladybird recorded all the experiences of modern living, capturing a sense of postwar optimism and excitement. With series such as People at Work, Achievements and How It Works, they explore perfectly the white heat of technology and progress so beloved of a generation of designers, planners and politicians.

The success of Ladybird books in the postwar period coincided with the rise of exciting new technology and the rebuilding of Britain’s towns and cities, brought about by blitz bombing, neglect or ambitious planning schemes. As a result many of those books, usually so associated with a cosy pipe-smoking suburban view of Britain, actually showcased a rather more go-ahead modernist view of life than we might think. Taking many of the original images from across their range it is possible to imagine a hidden 'Ladybird Book of Modernism'.

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