Vintage 1951 Brass Festival Of Britain Powder Compact, With Fob Logo, Includes Original Sifter, | Sold As Seen

Here is a truly splendid find, even if it’s not in the best pristine condition we all would prefer - this is a brass powder compact produced to commemorate the Festival of Britain in 1951. This features the famous cross & helmetted head logo designed by Abram Games (see below) with the date 1951 & the words ‘Festival of Britain’ around the top half. This is a normal sized compact, measuring just over 7.7cms in diameter (that’s just over 3) but still very flat - only 8mm thick (3/8th) I love this as it’s so utterly of its time, representing such a very famous event, & so very 1950s - & although this is unbranded, it’s a beautiful design, & a fabulous bit of retro 50s graphic design. If you collect vintage powder compacts because of the beautiful designs, this is a bit of a corker !! CONDITION:- This compact has two issues really - it is quite pitted all over the surface of the brass. It does have a nice rich coppery brass patina, but also many little tiny spots. Inside the mirror has a nasty black spot right in the centre, so if you are thinking about adding this beauty to your collection, you might consider replacing the mirror, or having someone professional replace it for you. Everything else is fine - hinges & catches are good & the sifter is original & clean. A little big but it does click into the powder well with a good push !! This has been used of course, but has been cleaned out - there may be a little powder residue lurking down in the corners !! FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN 1951 Six years after the end of the Second World War, & exactly one hundred years since the famous Great Exhibition of 1851, the Festival of Britain was a display of might & fortitude on a national scale, showcasing the best of British manufacturing & design. The Festival of Britain was intended as a ’tonic for the nation’, a spectacular cultural event to raise the spirits of a country still in the grasp of austerity & rationing, & undergoing severe social & economic reform. Held in the summer of 1951, it provided light relief to 8.5 million people who visited the main Festival site on London’s South Bank, & the events held in cities & towns across the country. Importantly, it also acted as a catalyst for a new design aesthetic, launching the career of noted British designers working in the fields of textiles, furniture & graphic design. ABRAM GAMES Abram Games created many of the striking posters used throughout the Festival. He began his career designing impactful public information posters for the War Office, urging Britons to ‘Keep a guard on what you say’, ‘Use spades not ships: grow your own food’ & ‘Your Britain: Fight for it now’. His designs for the Festival of Britain logo incorporated heraldic imagery & angular geometry to create a modern portrait of the national character. This emblem featured on posters, leaflets, souvenirs like this powder compact, & all the guide books & catalogues, helping to create what would become known as ‘Festival Style’. (Info from