The 1851 Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations was the first of its kind and represented a definitive moment for Britain. Housed in a glass and iron structure that gave the exhibition its popular name, the Crystal Palace, it was a showcase of British technological innovation and, with exhibitors from America and India, commercial and political dominance. However, many of the machine-made goods that Britain displayed were viewed as cheap and shoddy compared to those produced by France. In the wake of the Crystal Palace were a number of debates on design reform that crystalised in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Ostensibly about objects and the decoration of houses, the Arts & Crafts movement provided the perfect vehicle for political reformers covering workers’ rights, socialism and Irish independence. This course will use a material culture approach to look at political and social changes in Britain between the Crystal Place and the Arts & Crafts Movement, from 1850-1920.
Course aim
Using material culture and the Arts & Crafts movement to explore the political and social changes in Britain between 1850-1920.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is for beginners and improvers
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- discuss the link between design and politics in the second half of the nineteenth century.
- review how the ideals of the Arts & Crafts Movement were used by both social and political activists.
- trace the way that these ideals were used further afield in both India and Ireland as part of nationalist political movements.
- consider the legacy of this period and how it underpins a number of political and social debates today.
What else do I need to know?
A look at the Arts & Crafts Movement and related objects on the Victoria & Albert website (https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/arts-and-crafts) would be useful.
View full course information sheet
Crystal Palace to the Arts & Crafts: Design, Politics & Society 1859-1920
