From Cornflakes to Ker-plunk, Spacedust to Spacehoppers, take a nostalgic tour through 200 years of British consumerism with Robert Opie’s unique creation. Enter the museum’s time tunnel as it transports you from the Victorian era to modern marketing and the new millennium, stopping off to examine the Edwardian craze for ping-pong, the beginnings of radio and television, two World Wars and the Swinging 60s. Socially significant, historically telling and, ultimately, visually stunning this collection of consumerism is unique in both content and quantity – with over 500,000 items in total amassed by Opie it’s the largest of its type in the world. Many of the everyday objects on display here are only too easy to remember, transporting you instantly back in time (Schweppes, Bird’s Dream Topping, Brasso), with others it’s hard to believe they ever existed at all (Lazenby’s Jelly Crystals, bile beans and Franklyn’s Superfine Shag). This is the kind of place that can’t be experienced in silence. Every object tells its own story whilst at the same time evoking a host of personal reminiscences on the part of every visitor. Opie, himself, started collecting at the age of 16 with a packet of Munchies. His passion for consumerism, reflected through packaging design, brand development, poster and TV advertising is evident in every one of the museum’s beautifully presented exhibits. This place is a gem.
Best for:
posters and packaging, brand design, consumerism, Swan Vestas and Spangles.
Did you know?
In November 2004, to avoid any association with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and to make the product suitable for vegetarians, manufacturers of Bovril announced that its composition was to change from beef to a yeast extract.
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Unique museum charting British consumerism.
