supremacy and power, whereas a century later Britain in 1951 was at a time of political and social turmoil; and although the Festival did hark back to its predecessor in terms of display, it was a very different event. The 1851 Exhibition was officially named ‘The Exhibition of the Works of Industry
of All Nations’,
18
which sought to represent the world and its products
in London. An outward approach encouraging nations to integrate and promote their produce, the Empire was to represent the entire world with London at the centre. On the other hand the 1951 Festival, was an isolated account encapsulating tales of strength and imagination. This circumscribed approach was unsurprising nevertheless, such an inward attitude and a focus on domestic issues was expected, social historian Martin Daunton argued that:
‘The Britain of 1951 still had more in common with the ‘insular capitalism’ of the 1930s than the global economy of the second half of the nineteenth century’.
19
This national celebration rather than an Imperial or international exhibition, would ignore its ties with the rest of world, Britishness was solely expressed. The view articulated at the Festival was social, democratic, classless and egalitarian, achieving unity through an acceptance of diversity and by balancing an ancient past with a modern future.20 Decolonisation, after the war for many indicated a loss of British influence and prestige, by the early 1950s the retreat from Empire had already begun and with Labour in power, the Empire was no longer an appropriate or comfortable foundation around which to build British national identity.21
Figure 3.15 French depiction British National Character in Punch May, 1951
18. David Eldon Hall, Condensed history of the origination: rise, progress and completion of the ‘Great Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations’, (New York, 1852) p. 1 19. Martin Daunton, Wealth and Welfare - An Economic and Social History of Britain 1851-1951, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007) pp. 609 20. ibid., pp. 615 21. Becky Conekin, The Autobiography of a Nation - The 1951 Festival of Britain, (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2003) pp. 30
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