REDS! - COMMUNISM IN BRITAIN AT THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY MUSEUM
By Patrick Leonard
12/11/2003
Photo: Workers Weekly Poster. Courtesy of People's History Museum. See copyright note at end of story.
Reds, an exhibition about the history of the Communist Party of Great Britain, is on at the People’s History Museum in Manchester until April 25, 2004.
It may seem like a dinosaur now but communism had many famous devotees during the first half of the twentieth century.
Among them were Salvador Dali and several Hollywood stars later blacklisted in the McCarthy witch-hunts: Britain was no less immune to its appeal.
Photo: Peace & Socialism Poster. Courtesy of People's History Museum.
It may seem unlikely but for the first half of the twentieth century the Communist Party was a force to be reckoned with in British politics.
So many answered the call to arms and marched for workers rights, help for the unemployed and the glorious dream of revolution that at its height in the 1940s it was the fourth largest political party in the country.
Museum curator, Kate Chatfield, said: "Communism nowadays has many bad connotations because of what has happened…and we want people to understand why people joined."
The exhibition features a range of material from this period with banners, cartoons, posters and photographs from the museum’s collection including pieces that have never previously been displayed and have been conserved especially.
Photo: Conquer Your Future Now Poster. Courtesy of People's History Museum.
Among the exhibits are works by British artist Barbara Niven and a plate designed, and we are assured held, by the Spanish artist and sometime communist Pablo Picasso.
As well as the visual exhibits there will also be a chance to hear first-hand accounts of what it was like to be a communist during the turbulent years of the early twentieth century.
To help get more out of the show there will be a monthly ‘Bluffers guide to the Communist Party of Great Britain’ tour, which will answer all the questions you never had the opportunity to ask.
There will also be a photographic and archive display at the John Rylands university library during January in support of the exhibition, date to be confirmed.
Copyright note: the People's History Museum in Manchester own this collection of posters. In addition, they have made considerable efforts, as yet unsuccessful, to locate the copyright holders of the imagery. If you can help, please get in touch with the Museum staff in Manchester
The Pump House, Left Bank, Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3ER, England
T: 0161 839 6061
Open: *The People's History Museum is closed for redevelopment* It will re-open after the multi-million pound project is completed in 2009.
Some of the most popular displays from the museum galleries, including reconstructions and interactives, will be on show in the 1830 Warehouse at the Museum of Science and Industry from 28 January 2008 to Easter 2009. During this time visitors will also be able to have their say in how the new museum should be designed.
