Items related to Firework Art
Discover the evocative artwork of British Fireworks from the twentieth century
A stunning photographic collection of the evocative art of 20th Century British fireworks
When the British firework industry faded in the late 1980’s it took with it one of the most fondly remembered and imaginative forms of retail art ever to grace the small shops of these isles. The firework labels, their boxes and the posters that drew children to them like vivid magnets, faded from our high streets and corner shops just like the smoke from the fireworks they once proclaimed.
During the Twentieth Century, millions of British people celebrated the Fifth of November using shop bought fireworks. Purchased from their local newsagents, toyshops and small corner shops, these colourful little tubes gave immense pleasure to generations of children and seared themselves both into the yearly cycle of events and into the long term memory of those who waited for their return, to the shops, each autumn. Looking into the glass cabinets, filled with all those colourful tubes, pinwheels, bangers and rockets sparked the limitless imagination of millions of children and many an adult too.
208 pages, 235 full colour images
A beautiful journey into many childhoods...
The labels and posters from the likes of Astra, Brock's, Lion, Pain's, Standard, Wells', Wessex and many others
Scroll back up to discover a lost culture
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Publisher:
It is rare that a book can be said to be truly unique. FIREWORK ART most certainly is. It is unique in that the subject matter - the graphic art of British fireworks – has until now been largely overlooked except by a dedicated group of firework enthusiasts and collectors and yet British retail fireworks, the Bonfire Nights they helped enliven and all the associated advertising and imagery remain an important part of our social heritage. These items collectively marked both a time in the year, often a moment in childhood and represent a once thriving industry that has now all but ceased.
The manufacture of fireworks within Britain has all but ceased and most of the companies recorded within in the book are little more than fond memories but their wild and cheerfully colourful artwork lives on within these pages.
The retail graphic face of fireworks is also unique both in its unbounded, vivid imagination and in the method of its inception. It is a little known fact that most designs for the labels and posters came from within the factories, from the workers and management, not from design agencies and professional graphic designers. This pure and uncluttered source of creativity is wonderfully captured in FIREWORK ART. The result is both a fascinating trip down memory lane as well as an invaluable graphic resource for teachers, students and to anyone interested in popular art, graphic design, retail history and ephemera.
One of the most startling aspects of this book is in seeing for the first time the artwork of the fireworks presented flat, as opposed to being wrapped around tubular cases. Free from the restriction of being wrapped and free from creases, glue marks and scuffing, the artwork can now be fully appreciated in all its detail.
Synopsis:
The manufacture of fireworks within Britain has all but ceased and most of the companies recorded within in the book are little more than fond memories but their wild and cheerfully colourful artwork lives on within these pages.
The retail graphic face of fireworks is also unique both in its unbounded, vivid imagination and in the method of its inception. It is a little known fact that most designs for the labels and posters came from within the factories, from the workers and management, not from design agencies and professional graphic designers. This pure and uncluttered source of creativity is wonderfully captured in FIREWORK ART. The result is both a fascinating trip down memory lane as well as an invaluable graphic resource for teachers, students and to anyone interested in popular art, graphic design, retail history and ephemera.
One of the most startling aspects of this book is in seeing for the first time the artwork of the fireworks presented flat, as opposed to being wrapped around tubular cases. Free from the restriction of being wrapped and free from creases, glue marks and scuffing, the artwork can now be fully appreciated in all its detail.
A photographic collection of British firework art from the twentieth century.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRumble
- Publication date2005
- ISBN 10 0955062101
- ISBN 13 9780955062100
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages208
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