Wonderful world of nostalgia

Exhibition of Ladybird book illustrations opens at The Base

A COUPLE of us NWN-ers of a certain age stepped back in time on Monday morning into the nostalgic world of Ladybird books and the stories told through the original artwork in The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists, at The Base, Greenham (to December 15).

Ladybird Books have been a familiar fixture on children’s bookshelves since the 1950s, but they actually date back to the early days of the Second World War. In an unparalleled collections of books and original artwork, the exhibition uncovers the story of the talented artists who illustrated Ladybird books for more than 30 years, tracing the interconnected work between them throughout Ladybird’s ‘golden years’ from 1940 to 1975 and the enormous role they played in the extraordinary success of the company in the 20th century.

Ladybird expert and enthusiast Helen Day, who has spent more than 20 years researching the company and collecting items, has curated this exhibition. Visit www.cornexchangenew.com for opening times and ticket prices.
See next week’s N2 for the review.The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists is Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm). Advance tickets £8 (£7 concs, £6 under-16s, £6 groups of 10+, under-5s free). Tickets are also available on the door.