communication” than mere commercialism. In 1964, within a few months of the meeting, 400 copies were published, one of which fell into the hands of Anthony Wedgewood Benn, who published it in its entirety in his Guardian newspaper column. Benn, also a Member of Parliament representing Labour, broadened the scope of the manifesto’s critique, arguing that the “responsibility for the waste of talent which [the signees] have denounced is one we must all share” (Poynor). Garland was soon invited to present his manifesto’s case to the British public on Tonight, a BBC Television current affairs program. “First Things First” was reprinted in many notable design magazines, even finding translation into French and German. The manifesto’s rapid spread was no coincidence. Emerging at the cusp of major ideological shifts in Britain – and the western world more broadly reflected the cultural and political tensions of the post-war era. In the 1950s, - industry diversified, no longer bound to the production of wartime equipment. Britons were no longer held to a homogenized culture in the service of a common wartime cause, and avenues of entertainment and fulfillment expanded in their variety. The post-war economic boom “radically affected the conceptualization and fitting” of domestic life (Laing 21). In summary, Britain’s transition out of their wartime economy facilitated the rise of a consumer class who could afford luxuries. The economic boom was accompanied by a rise in political and social liberalism. In 1945, the Labour Party withdrew from the wartime coalition led by Winston Churchill and contested the general election. After three consecutive Conservative Prime Ministers, the Labour Party won comfortably and held the office of Prime Minister until 1970. Malcom Bradbury, a writer and scholar who rose to prominence in the era, believed this new liberalism was inevitable following the defeat of fascism and totalitarian ideologies. He saw it as a “historical recovery” that “took much of its intellectual energy both from the radical politics and […] reforming progressivism” (Bradbury). Labour’s victory ushered in the reconstruction of a “culture of democratic principles, progressive institutions, freedoms, and rights, a spirit of pluralism.” Britain’s post-war society welcomed change and encouraged the free expression of political, cultural, and individual ideals. This cultural context was fertile ground for design, which “[took] off as a confident, professionalized activity” (Poynor). The growth of an affluent consumer class opened more opportunities for designers in advertising, promotion, and packaging. Freed up from the demands for propaganda and the austerity of wartime, design experienced a renaissance as consumers looked to express themselves through their purchases. Teenagers especially reveled in the new order. Young men, safe from the threat of military conscription, looked to fashion that celebrated their individualism. Young women expressed progressive optimism in daring miniskirts. The hippie movement, 86
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