Betty Smithers Design Collection

The Betty Smithers Design Collection houses an Aladdin's cave of iconic objects throughout design history. The collection is available to aid our students, whether for a photoshoot or to merely browse through some of our periodicals.

The collection was established in the early 1980s to complement the teaching of what was then the History of Art and Design Department of the North Staffordshire Polytechnic. Now housed in the Cadman Building, it supports courses across the university. It contains five main collections.

Exhibition open from: 14 January 2012 - 4 March 2012

Borough Museum & Art Gallery
Brampton Park, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, ST5 0QP
TEL: 01782 619705

News report and photo gallery

Tuesday: 1.30pm - 4.30pm
 
Friday: 9.30pm - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm

(Please ring ahead to make an appointment) 

Central News clip

Watch a vintage video from 1984 of the Design Collection, showcased by Central News.

Watch clip

'Vintage' by Alethea McCarthy

Alethea McCarthy is a Foundation Student at Stoke-on-Trent College. These are images from her ‘Vintage’ shoot assignment.

View gallery

Visiting Artist - Gemma Parker

The collection recently helped Artist and Burlesque pin-up, Gemma Parker in researching her 'Dressing Table Project'.

On her blog (Lipstick, Powder and Paint), Gemma wrote "I was there to see the Vogue magazines of the 1940's and 50's! What a treat! Further to my investigations into reading materials for the average working class, middle class woman of the late 40's early 50's I was eager to see what other publications a girl might read."

Read more at Gemma Walker's Blog

AIM Report 2010

Norman Hartnell dolls dress conservation:

In 1943 a collection of twenty dolls made in the Hartnell workshop and dressed in Latin American costume, were sent on a travelling exhibition across Britain to raise funds for the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Family Association (SSAFA).

Read the full report (PDF, file size: 68.92KB)

Galleries

'Celebrate Betty', 'Happy the Bride' exhibition, 'Norman Hartnell' exhibition

Video

Betty Smithers Design Collection on show

Advertising

This collection includes catalogues and literature put out by firms as diverse as Asda, Dulux and Harrods, as well as examples of packaging and customised carrier bags for Woolworths, Mary Quant and Camel cigarettes amongst others

Products

These are small scale examples of industrial design, usually for domestic or office use. There are radios, vacuum cleaners, razors, cameras, hairdriers, a device for heating rollers for the 1930s "Marcelle wave" type of perm, typewriters and adding machines, bakelite electrical fittings, a gas iron (pictured) and a Pel Chair with tubular steel frame dating from the 1940s.

Plastics

This is a small but interesting collection of objects made from all sorts of different plastics, from a casein photograph frame to a British Rail coffee cup.

Periodicals

This collection specialises in "down market" women's and teenage magazines like Woman's Own, Family Circle, Jackie, Blue Jeans and 19 which are not found in most library collections. The collection of fashion magazines is of particular interest, and includes items from the late 19th century to the present day, with the period of 1910 - 1920 being especially well covered.

There are many other periodicals too, like a group of 1940s copies of Wireless World, Picture Post, 1950s and 1960s motor magazines, 60s and 70s underground magazines such as Oz and feminist magazine, Spare Rib and near complete runs of Sunday Times, Observer and Independent colour supplements.

Costume and Textiles

The emphasis here is on the 20th century, on garments made from synthetic fabrics and on teenage fashion. There is, for example, a skirt from one of Marks and Spencer's first ranges of pleated terylene, a "wet look" bikini, a group of Utility garments and bed-linen, and outfits by Biba and Mary Quant.

There is plenty more to see including Britain's oldest washing machine, dresses from the 1920s and a handbag constructed with a secret compartment to take a gas mask!

For more information on the collection, please contact Liz Allen on 01782 294416.

See more galleries at the BSDC website