63/18/5

The Diversity of British Farming – Grass and milk: Cheshire,

Michael O'Connell (Maker), Venice Havinden (Maker)

This is the fifth in a series of large wall hangings on ‘The Diversity of British Farming’. The wall hangings were designed, painted and dyed by Michael O’Connell and his assistant Venice Havinden in Much Hadham Hertfordshire. They were displayed in the Country Pavilion of the Festival of Britain on the South Bank in London, May–September 1951. The Festival or Britain commemorated the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace and sought to revitalise the economy, strengthen Britain’s political and economic position in the world and lift the national mood after years of post-war austerity. This panel, entitled 'Grass and milk: Cheshire', has a background of small cheese symbols, and depicts a farmstead with unusual hay barns on the left, and a large timber framed house set among fields with rivers and ponds on the right.

1 wall hanging: fabric

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: … // Accession number: 63/18/1–10 // Classification: … // Negative number: … // Acquisition method: … // Acquired from: … // Date: … // Store: … // Condition: … // Recorder: JMB // Date: 14.1.94 // Description: Large hangings made, painted & dyed by Michael O’Connell depicting the Diversity of British Farming. // These hangings formed part of the display in the Agricultural and Country Pavilion at the 1951 Festival of Britain. // Colours are vibrant – green background with orange bands and black shapes. // Dimensions: Various but mostly 12 ft x 24 ft. // Associated information: See attached sheets for detailed information. // For other accessions from Festival of Britain see Acc. Files 52/65–52/91, 79/64, 52/384 // Festival of Britain Catalogue Number G101 // Signature/sign – bottom RH corner of Kent picture “Moll” // COL. NEG. NOS. 60/16058–60/16094 // References: Catalogue for South Bank Exhibition 1951 RUL. Stack 606.40942 p.22. // Atomic to the Nation. Edited by Barnham and Hillier RUL 606.40942 p.106', MERL ‘Handwritten catalogue’ form – ‘This picture shows a lot of small detail and is in good condition. // Total Dimensions: Width: 23ft (702cm) // Length: 12ft 6ins (381cm) // This picture features two main parts. The right hand section shows a large timber framed house with diamond window panes set among fields with a river and ponds. A literary? tea party is taking place in front of the house and there are black and white cattle and a horse and cart. // On the left hand side the farmstead shows a horse with rake, a man with a scythe and red and white cows as well as a tractor with a plough. Above the unusual hay barns with circular pitching doors are featured. // The main symbols are small cheese and the central picture is a cheese store. The fields are edged with sycamore and oak trees. // The field plan at the bottom RH corner shows the following crops: // PG Permanent Grass; LL Long Ley; W Wheat; O Oats; A Arable roots; RG Rough Grazing; H Hay; G Temporary Grass; K Kale. // TEXT: ‘To the famous cheese country of the Dee Valley new times have brought new techniques. With pasture-ploughing and silage making, and the careful breeding of stock, each farm aims to feed itself and flood the towns with milk.'’, MERL Miscellaneous note, undated – ‘These hangings were displayed on the balcony section of the Country pavilion at the Festival of Britain and were design to show the diversity of British farming which was the main theme of the pavilion’s exhibitions. // The hangings were designed, painted and dyed by Michael O’Connell, assisted by Venice Havinden, at his home in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire. Details of the technique he used are not known at present although an article in “Picture Post” on 6 January 1951 suggests that he used “an ancient Asiatic dye technique”. The hangings are made up of separate strips of heavy, course woven, fabric which have been dyed a dull green and stitched together. The detail has than been painted/printed on top of this.’, Festival of Britain Catalogue, 1951 – ‘The Diversity of British Farming // G101 Wallhanging painted and dyed by Michael O’Connell, The Chase, Much Hadham, Herts. Assistant, Venice Havinden. // (a) Upland stock-farming : Scotland and Wales. // (b) Grass and meat : Rutlandshire. // (c) Grass and milk : Cheshire. // (d) The family farm : Northern Ireland. // (e) The grain belt : Yorkshire. // (f) Root crops: The Fens. // (g) Fruit and hops: Kent.’

Much Hadham, Much Hadham

Painted, Dyed