Nine essays and a collection of documents intended as a working tool for students of the post-war period and in particular of design within the period. They discuss the textiles, pottery, and furniture industries in terms of the shifts in meaning and location during the transition from highly controlled wartime production to the more market-based structure that would become characteristic after the immediate reconstruction. Among the specific topics are the place of the exhibition in the history of design; patriotism, politics, and production; adapting utility furniture to peace-time production; and aesthetic idealism and economic reality. Distributed in the US by Books International. The CiP data shows the main title as Popular Politics and Design in Post-War Britain. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Through compelling analysis of popular culture, high culture and elite designs in the years following the end of the Second World War, this book explores how Britain and its people have come to terms with the loss of prestige stemming from the decline of the British Empire. The result is a volume that offers new ideas on what it is to be 'British'.

British culture is marked by indelible icons—red double-decker buses, large oak wardrobes, and the compact sleekness of the Mini. But British industrial and product design have long lived in the shadows of architecture and fashion. Cheryl Buckley here delves into the history of British design culture, and in doing so uniquely tracks the evolution of the British national identity. Designing Modern Britain demonstrates how interior design, ceramics, textiles, and furniture craft of the twentieth century contain numerous hallmark examples of British design. The book explores topics connected to the British design aesthetic, including the spread of international modernism, the eco-conscious designs of the 1980s and 1990s, and the influence of celebrity product designers and their labels. Buckley also investigates popular nostalgia in recent times, considering how museum and gallery exhibitions have been instrumental in reimagining Britain’s past and how the heritage industry has fueled a growing trend among designers of employing images of British culture in their work. A thoughtful look at the aesthetic heritage of a nation that has left its footprint around the globe, Designing Modern Britain will be a valuable text for students and professionals in design.

A history of British cultural Marxism. This book traces its development from beginnings in postwar Britain, through transformations in the 1960s and 1970s, to the emergence of British cultural studies at Birmingham, up to the advent of Thatcherism, to reflect a tradition, that represents an effort to resolve the crisis of the postwar British Left.

The Material Culture of Tableware is a fascinating and authoritative study of patterned tableware in the US. The book undertakes a visual analysis of Johnson Brothers patterns of tableware pottery, with reference to comparable designs by other British companies, such as Spode and Adams. It examines how this practical genre reflected the aesthetic values, sense of identity and aspirations of the American consumers who purchased its products. The study also sheds light on British opinions and understandings of American culture. The book's chronological organization shows how tableware designs reflected the cultural developments of American society during the long 20th century. From status-seeking 1890s beaux-arts patterns and the nostalgic historical scenes of the 1930s, to whimsical 1960s patterns and the contemporary motifs of the 1970s, The Material Culture of Tableware tells a compelling story about who 20th century middle-class Americans were and wanted to be.