Alnwick, Northumberland’s Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery is hosting The Wonderful World of Ladybird Book Artists until November 5, 2023.
The colourful exhibition puts on display an unparalleled collection of books, original artwork, and artefacts spanning over three decades of Ladybird publications and demonstrates how the numerous, talented Ladybird illustrators played such an enormous role in the extraordinary success of the company.
Tracing the interconnected work of the artists, the Ladybird story itself is recounted over its ‘golden years’ – 1940 to 1975. Both visually rich and varied, the exhibition will evoke memories of childhood for many.
Vintage Ladybird books encapsulate much of the history of Britain in the 20th century and hundreds of the books will be available for visitors to browse through at the exhibition.
There were many different factors behind Ladybird books’ phenomenal success, but as Ladybird books were essentially picture books, it was in large measure the illustrations that attracted and engaged users. The exhibition will explore questions such as of who were the artists? Are they known for other work? What was the context in which they were illustrating? Who were the models for the pictures and what were the real locations?
In the process of answering these questions, it recounts the fascinating story of the little Loughborough print business which became a giant in children’s publishing.
The exhibition is curated by Ladybird expert and enthusiast Helen Day, who has spent more than 20 years researching the company and collecting books and more.
