THE ARTWORK

British fireworks are unique in comparison with those of most other countries on account of the degree of effort undertaken to decorate a product intended to be burnt, blown up or fired off out of sight, Never to return. So why make them attractive at all?

Prior to the 1930's most fireworks were simply finished in brown Kraft paper, or coloured paper, onto which was glued a plain text label giving the name, maker and basic safety instructions. This simple appearance proved both practical and effective but gave little for the fertile imagination to play with and more importantly remember. From the mid 1930's firework makers picked up the basic utilitarian firework and made it highly pleasing to the eye even before the blue touchpaper fuse came to be lit. This is the crucial element, for the label and the poster were more clearly remembered than the final performance and that in turn meant recognition from one year to the next within the highly competitive and unforgiving marketplace.

Chocolate bars are sold all year and like the bulk of consumer products their presence is found in most outlets, most of the time, their brand constantly available and refreshed by an almost omni-present exposure. Fireworks, on the other hand, being available for such a short duration each year, might easily have merged into fuzzy retail greyness if measured on their size and sparkly effects alone. They required a somewhat stronger identity. The artwork fixed the product into memory and secured the all important repeat sale some fifty-two weeks later. Therefore, although outwardly simple in origin, accessible and basic in their intentions, the artwork of these old fireworks has proven extremely clever in its lasting effect, brilliantly so considering the relaxed attitude often shown in its inception and alongside the fact that precious few professional graphic designers ever sat down to create the look of fireworks.

There is however, one clear and regrettable downside to this laid-back arrangement in that very few of the resultant designs can reliably have an artist's name placed against them. The lack of company records has meant the name of the designer, often an ordinary member of staff, or someone based within an outside printing firm, remains unrecorded, which is a pity considering the pleasure their designs have given throughout the years.

Maybe it is better to let the artwork speak for itself. Although seen by so many people, few of the following labels will ever have been viewed removed from their tubes and flattened in presentation. To see the labels here, laid out as such, offers a unique opportunity to appreciate fully the artistry and inventiveness given over to their design and to see them for what they are-the collected art of the British firework industry during the Twentieth Century.

To do this...... you’ll have to buy the book!