If you love vintage beauty then don’t miss our new exhibition ‘Glamour on the Go’ which is on show until 28 September 2014. Organised in partnership with the British Compact Collectors’ Society, this free exhibition sees the Upper Gallery full of beauty essentials documenting the evolution of make-up, from the turn of the 20th century through to the 1970s.

Throughout recorded history, cosmetics have been used to create the beauty ideal of each passing age. Our own age has witnessed nothing less than a revolution in the production and marketing of cosmetics, reflecting changes in moral attitudes, social and economic conditions.

Central to this revolution is the compact, which through its development in function and form, moved make-up away from the confines of the bedroom to become both portable and accessible for millions of women, allowing women to re-apply make-up on the go.

Visitors are also invited to find out more by handling a selection of the vintage compacts at the object handling table which has been set up by Dajana Topczewski. Dajana manages the exhibitions for the Art Fund Prize Gallery and Taste of Art and she is currently studying for an MA in Museum and Galleries Education, the object handling activity is part of her final report. The objects have been carefully selected to reflect the content on display in the gallery and include examples from the past and present bringing the history of these objects to life.  


Image credits: Object handling in the 'Glamour on the Go' exhibition at The Lightbox and Rene Roberts, Chair, courtesy of The British Compact Collectors' Society © The Lightbox

If you would like to find out more about vintage beauty, then make sure you come along to Katherine Higgins’ talk ‘Director’s Choice: Lipstick, Powder and Paint: Beauty Essentials in the 20th Century’ on Tuesday 16 September and discover the secrets behind glamourous Second World War beauty at the ‘In Conversation with Vintage Beauty Experts’ on Saturday 13 September.

Find out more about ‘Glamour on the Go’ here.

Book online for ‘Director’s Choice: Lipstick, Powder and Paint: Beauty Essentials in the 20th Century’ here.

Book online for ‘In Conversation with Vintage Beauty Experts’ here.