A GUIDE TO TRYING TO COLLECT FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN OFFICIAL PRINTED PUBLICATIONS
by Martin Packer (a leading member of the Festival of Britain Society)
Click here for links to: 'Covers of Exhibition Guide-Catalogues' and 'More Covers of Guide-Catalogues'
The official literature of the Festival of Britain is a difficult area of 'paper antiques' to collect in as the sources of supply are very limited and after fifty years, some of the guide-catalogues are now getting seriously scarce. This article is intended for anyone trying to collect at least the full set of the nine* official guides and assumes no previous knowledge on the reader's part of the Festival of Britain. Note: * 1-9 with the Abram Games symbol on the front cover, published by HMSO.
The following main guides are listed in the same order as 55 'Principal Events in the Festival Calendar' on page 95 of the South Bank Exhibition guide.
The 'current values' in red (brackets) refer to David Bovey's May 2000 "Book and Magazine Collector"article, BUT they cannot be taken as realistic purchase prices due to the relative scarcity of some of these publications.
1. The essential guide is Official Book of The Festival of Britain (HMSO) 72 pages, recent auction price: £20 (£10-£15)
London Exhibitions:
2. South Bank Exhibition, South Bank guide: 96 pages (HMSO) Recent auction price = £20 (£8-£10)
3. South Bank Exhibition, South Bank catalogue of exhibits: 188 pages plus ads (HMSO) (£20-£25)
4. Science Exhibition, South Kensington guide: 56 pages plus ads. (HMSO) (£10-£15)
5. Exhibition of Architecture, Poplar guide: 52 pages plus ads. (HMSO) Recent auction price: £20 (£15-£20)
Exhibition of Books, South Kensington guide: 224 pages (Cambridge University Press)
1851 Centenary Exhibition, South Kensington commemorative album: 142 pages (HMSO)
+Festival of British Films (see also "Films in 1951 Festival of Britain", published by Sight & Sound for the B.F.I.)
Festival Pleasure Gardens, Battersea guide: 52 pages Recent auction prices: £10 & £15 (£15-£20)
London Season of the Arts official souvenir programme: 96 pages
Masterpieces of Victorian Photography guide: 36 pages (Arts Council)
"60 Paintings for '51" guide: 52 pages (Arts Council)
Exhibitions outside London:
6. Exhibition of Industrial Power, Glasgow guide-catalogue: 48 pages plus ads.(HMSO) (£10-£15)
20th Century Scottish Books Exhibition, Glasgow guide: 310 pages (HMSO)
"Living Traditions of Scotland" : Scottish Architecture and Crafts Exhibition, Edinburgh guide: 90 pages (HMSO)
+18th Century Scottish Books Exhibition, Edinburgh guide (HMSO): I need to beg, borrow or steal a copy of this one!
7. Ulster Farm & Factory Exhibition, Belfast guide: 32 pages (HMSO): This was omitted from D. Bovey's BMC article and is very scarce - particularly with the Exhibitors insert. Is this the 'Holy Grail' of all Festival of Britain official literature?
Travelling Exhibitions:
8. Festival Ship "Campania" Exhibition guide-catalogue: 48 pages plus ads.(HMSO) (£10-£15)
9. Land Travelling Exhibition guide-catalogue: 68 pages plus ads. (HMSO) Recent auction price: £15 (£10-£15)
and finally,
Design in the Festival :133 pages incl. ads. (HMSO). Recent auction price: £30 (£25-£30)
Arts Festivals
England:
+Aldeburgh,+Bath, +Bournemouth and Wessex, Brighton, +Cambridge, Canterbury, +Cheltenham, +Liverpool, Norwich, +Oxford, +Stratford-upon-Avon, +York, +Worcester
Wales:
+Llangollen, +Llanrwst, +St.David's, +Swansea
Scotland:
+Aberdeen, +Dumfries, +Edinburgh, +Inverness, +Perth,
Northern Ireland:
+Belfast
Other Events:
+Gathering of the Clans, Edinburgh
+Pageant of Wales, Cardiff
+St. Fagan's Folk Festival, Cardiff
+Welsh Hillside Farm Scheme, Dolhendre
Note I would much appreciate any information on the those items marked '+' on: martin@packer34.freeserve.co.uk
As for the relative values of all of the above items, it really depends on whether you are buying or selling them of course. Try a reputable PBFA bookdealer like Brian Mills on (01457) 856878 and you cannot go wrong or get in touch with me or the Festival of Britain Society whose membership are always looking for Festival of Britain literature. If you want to see what you are looking for, then try: www.packer34.freeserve.co.uk/campania.htm for all of their front covers! (The ONLY reference book is "A Tonic to the Nation", published by "Thames & Hudson" in 1976, which is very scarce having been remaindered.)
MDP 10.4.00 (updated 14.10.00)