From May to September 1951 the nation celebrated the Festival of Britain. After the devastation of war and years of austerity the Festival aimed to raise the nation’s spirits whilst promoting the very best in British art, design and industry.

In the 1980s Peter Kneebone, an organiser of the Festival of Britain, donated to the Museum of London a large and nationally important collection of printed ephemera documenting the Festival of Britain. The Museum's collections also encompass drawings, photographs and objects relating to the Festival of Britain.

This taster site was created before the launch of an online exhibition, intended to increase access to its Festival of Britain collections. This site includes a selection of memories and images emailed or posted to us by members of the public. See the online exhibition here

Please come back and visit this site then. In the meantime, we would like to give you a taster of some of the material in our collections. Please click on the links below to access images and information about the items featured.

1. South Bank Exhibition, postcard, Valentine and Sons

2. The Skylon in construction, photograph, Henry Grant

3. The Dome of Discovery, drawing, Bryan de Grineau

4. South Bank Exhibition Plan, leaflet

5. Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway, photograph, M. Moyse

6. New homes rise from London's ruins..., poster, promoting the Lansbury Estate

7. London Transport Special Bus Service tickets

8. Gwyl Prydain, A calendar of events in Wales, programme

9. Grossbritannien ladet ein, publicity leaflet

10. Souvenir biscuit tin

11. Souvenir place mat, Suba Maid

12. Condiment set and sugar dredger, A H Woodfull