From Atoms to Patterns: Crystal Structure Designs from the 1951 Festival of Britain

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Lesley Jackson

Richard Dennis Publications, Shepton Beauchamp, UK, 2008, English

Design, General

ISBN: 9780955374111

From the Publisher. The intriguing story of the Festival Pattern Group—a unique collaboration between scientists and designers at the Festival of Britain. Conceived by Dr Helen Megaw, a leading Cambridge crystallographer, and spearheaded by the Council of Industrial Design, the Festival Pattern Group co-opted diagrams of atomic structures for patterns on everyday products, including textiles, wallpapers, ceramics, and glass. The result was a weird and wonderful collection of furnishings and accessories decorated with scientifically accurate crystal structure designs. Featuring numerous hitherto unpublished images and drawing on extensive new research this book provides a definitive account of the Festival Pattern Group and explores the science behind the designs. The book complemented a major exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London (24th April-10th August 2008).

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The story of the Festival Pattern Group, a collaboration between scientists and designers for the Festival of Britain.

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