Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery summer exhibition: “Ration Books to Moon Landings”
Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery is delighted to announce “Ration Books to Moon Landings” taking place between 2nd June 2026 and 30th August 2026.
This summer exhibition will take visitors back to the 1950s and 60s; two decades of major social change. In 1950 the aftermath of the Second World War was still being felt. Food rationing had not yet ended – if you wanted egg and bacon an adult could only buy 1 egg and 4 ounces of bacon each week! Hardly any families had television and for those who had there was only one black and white channel -BBC).
However, there were 1.4 billion cinema attendances every year. By 1970 there was a TV in almost every home with three channels of colour TV to watch and many cinemas were closing.
Our exhibition deals with these and many other changes. How the newly created NHS contributed to longer life expectancy and how slum clearance and new housing meant that outdoor loos and tin baths were becoming a thing of the past. While rail services to Alnwick were being cut, a growing number of families had cars which widened their horizons. In contrast to today people still shopped on the High Street and visitors can see a range of colourful adverts for local businesses.
Wherever possible the exhibition draws on objects and images from our collection to illustrate the period. It will display changes in women’s fashion from the full skirts of the 50s to the miniskirts of the 60s by displaying vintage items from our extensive collection.
For some visitors the exhibition will bring back memories of their childhood, for others it will provide a picture of a world where people seemed to manage very well without accessing the internet, sending texts and emails and streaming numerous channels of television.
Jean Humphrys, Chair at Bailiffgate says “This exhibition is an opportunity to reminisce and reflect on how much and how quickly life has changed over the years. It’s a testament to the impact ingenuity and innovation have had on our daily lives.”