The Museum of Brands in London examines the history of consumer culture from Victorian times to the present day. The museum was set up as a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

in 2002, and is now located at 111-117 Lancaster Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 1QT. Museum of Brands Building

History

The museum showcases over 12,000 items from the Robert Opie Collection which were housed in the Museum of Advertising and Packaging at

Gloucester Docks Gloucester Docks is an historic area of the city of Gloucester. The docks are located at the northern junction of the River Severn with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. They are Britain's most inland port. The docks include fifteen Victoria ...

from 1984 until its closure in October 2001. The collection moved to Notting Hill in 2005. Another display of the Robert Opie Collection at Opie's Museum of Memories formed part of the now-defunct

Wigan Pier Wigan Pier is an area around the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, south-west of the town centre. The name has humorous or ironic connotations since it conjures an image of a seaside pleasure pier, whereas Wigan is ...

Experience. The museum receives over 40,000 visitors annually.

Collection

The museum features over 12,000 original items including domestic "everyday" products,

packaging Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...

poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...

s, toys and

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

s. Set out in chronological order in the form of a "Time Tunnel" the museum takes visitors on a nostalgic journey through 200 years of consumer culture, and shows how the

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

s around us have evolved from the naïve charm of Victorian times to the greater sophistication of today. It also reflects the change in

shopping Shopping is an activity in which a customer browses the available goods or services presented by one or more retailers with the potential intent to purchase a suitable selection of them. A Retail#Shopper profiles, typology of shopper types ha ...

habits, the impact of

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

, media, the effects of two

world war A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

s and the gradual

emancipation of women Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

. Throughout the year, the museum presents temporary exhibitions, talks and workshops to create debate and examine the role of brands in history and the modern world. In 2020, the Museum opened 'When Brands Take a Stand' exploring how brands engage with social issues such as gender, sexuality, wellbeing, human rights and social justice. Museum of Brands Temporary Exhibitions

Museum facilities

The museum has a cafe and garden area. It is also available as a venue for receptions and parties and has a separate conference space and boardroom for meetings. Since originally opening in Colville Mews in 2005, the museum's visitor numbers have increased fourfold; and having outgrown the premises, it reopened in September 2015 at the London Lighthouse Building in Lancaster Road, formerly owned by the

Terrence Higgins Trust Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity that campaigns about and provides services relating to HIV and sexual health. In particular, the charity aims to end the transmission of HIV in the UK; to support and empower people living with HIV, to ...

References

External links

Museum of Brands

Robert Opie Collection

{{DEFAULTSORT:Museum of Brands History museums in London Brands, Packaging and Advertising Mass media museums in the United Kingdom Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising Museums established in 2002 Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising Advertising museums Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising Tourist attractions in London Packaging

History

Collection

Museum facilities

Sponsors

See also

References

External links