British Design for Children 1948-2012

31 March – 30 September 2012

Bird bath toy, Patrick Rylands, England 1970 Museum no. MISC.41-1970 (click image for larger version)

A major exhibition in collaboration with the V&A in South Kensington exploring how events of the past 60 years have shaped design for children. Whilst the 1950s parent favoured pre-war nostalgic design, the explosion of youth culture in the 60s meant that affluent teenagers became influenced by America and pop. More recently in the 90s and 2000s there has been a boom in products designed for the 'yummy mummy’, their urban offspring and consumer savvy ‘tweenies’.

In 2012, the V&A will showcase 60 years of British creative talent to coincide with the 2012 Olympics including a major exhibition, British Design 1948-2012, as well as a season of new displays and touring exhibitions around the world.