Ladybird By Design

For one hundred years, Ladybird books have delighted children, their parents, grandparents and teachers alike, taking readers on a journey of discovery and enlightenment. Affordable and accessible, Ladybird books hold a significant and affectionate place in the collective psyche of the nation, conjuring up, through written word and illustration, life in Britain in more innocent times.

The success of Ladybird was as much due to clever format and compelling design, as it was the quality of the writing, presenting a portrait of the time through the use of specifically commissioned illustration. Unparalleled in their perfectly observed attention to detail and unique sense of place, Ladybird’s full-colour, full-page illustrations were often created by well-known illustrators.

This exhibition takes its title from the new book Ladybird by Design, written by Professor of Illustration and Dean of the School of Design at the London College of Communication, Lawrence Zeegen. The book publishes on 5March 2015 and will portray a unique slice of Britain’s social and design history, as seen through the eyes of Ladybird. Professor Zeegen has been closely involved in curating the exhibition that has been inspired by Ladybird by Design.