Abram Games & The Festival of Britain Emblem

The instantly recognisable emblem for the Festival of Britain was the product of a design competition organised by the Arts Council and the Council for Industrial Design in 1949.

Of the twelve invited entrants, Abram Games was felt to best address the brief which called for a symbol that could be universally applied to all official products and documents.

Games’s winning design incorporated a profile of Britannia above a four pointed star which represented the points of a compass, and illustrated the truly national aspirations of the festival. The addition of a loop of red, white and blue bunting hanging below the star and enclosing the date 1951, was intended to reflect “the summer of gaiety and good looks” that the brief specifically asked for.

When his winning entry was announced, Games was already a highly respected graphic artist, having produced over 100 of the most memorable posters during the Second World War in his role as Official War Posters Artist.

His official site is here where some excellent examples of his work can be found.