Modernist exhibitions in Britain for propaganda and resistance, 1933-53: the materialisation of persuasion

Smoke Abatement

Harriet is in the final stage of preparing the manuscript of her Manchester University Press book Modernist exhibitions in Britain for propaganda and resistance, 1933-53: the materialisation of persuasion. This is the first book-length analysis of exhibitions used for propaganda and political interventions in Britain during the two decades from 1933. Richly illustrated, this study analyses how exhibitions were mounted in public places: from station concourses, to workers’ canteens and, during wartime, in empty shops and bombsites, becoming a key tool for public communication. This book extends our existing knowledge of the work of a range of prominent artists, architects and designers working in Britain including Edith Tudor-Hart, Edward McKnight-Kauffer, Paul Nash, FHK Henrion, Misha Black, John Heartfield, Oskar Kokoschka and Erno Goldfinger. It is being published in Manchester University Press’s Studies in Design and Material Culture series and will be available in 2024.