2 great reasons to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum
To say I’ve waited a long time to see the Bags: Inside Out exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, would be no word of a lie. Originally due to open before the first lockdown, postponed and then scuppered again by the second, it was nearly a year and a half after my originally intended visit that I finally managed to enjoy this exploration and celebration of our favourite fashion accessory.
And just to double the joy of being back in one of my favourite museums, the timing of my visit meant I could also soak up another of their spectacularly staged, immersive exhibitions, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, a fabulously theatrical examination of the 157 year history of one of our most loved children’s stories.
Bags: Inside Out
Aside from my inherent love of handbags and their ability to be both functional and fabulous, frivolous and utilitarian, there was a very personal reason I’d wanted to see this exhibition. The father and grandfather of one of my dear friends were royal warrant bag-maker’s of considerable renown, and several of their beautifully crafted bags are included in the exhibition, as well as some original working drawings.
This elegant leather bag was made by the company - H Wald and Co - in the run-up to the Second World War, when all civilians were issued with gas masks. Its sleek design incorporates a special gas mask compartment
Leather bag with gas mask compartment by H Wald & Co
This gorgeous Waldybag (as the company’s creations were known) was made of silk, and exquisitely decorated with glass beads and paint
Silk Waldybag handbag decorated with glass beads
All the bags on display tell a story - of the period of their production, the lives of their owners, and the creativity and ingenuity of their designers.
For example, dowry or marriage purses were given to wish a marrying couple good luck for their future and often contained coins to symbolise the hopes for their prosperity
Dowry or marriage purses often contained coins to wish the couple good fortune
There’s little need to explain why this particular bag was so significant - to both its owner and history.
Winston' Churchill’s red box when he was Secretary of State for the Colonies
I loved the ingenuity of the design of this compact (it only measures 16cm when closed) opera bag from 1910, which opens out to reveal compartments to hold all the owners evening-at-the-opera necessities
A diminutive, ingeniously designed opera bag
The inventiveness of this weekend bag, created in 2019 by UK company Elvis & Kresse, lies in its environmentally sensitive material. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed it started its life as fire hoses!
Weekend bag made from decommissioned fire hoses
Elsewhere there are delightful bag flights of fancy to enjoy
Some of the quirkier designs on display
and informative and interesting videos and displays showing the process involved in the designing and creating of handbags.
It all makes for a fascinating and enjoyable delve into the accessory we all rely on.
Bags: Inside Out is on until Jan 16th 2022. Click here for information and tickets
Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser
This exhibition is an altogether different experience. The V&A has become known for the dramatic theatricality of its big, headline exhibitions, and Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser joins the ranks of immersive and enthralling predecessors, which have included Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty and Tim Walker: Wonderful Things
Preparing to enter the Alice rabbit hole
Written by Charles Doudgson, under his pen name of Lewis Carroll, and first published in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has never been out of print and has been translated into 170 languages. Along with its sequel, Alice Through The Looking Glass, the stories have become a global phenomenon that have had a cultural impact across art forms from painting, music and theatre, to design and film.
This visually stunning exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Alice’s beginnings as a story told by Charles to Alice Liddell and her sisters one ‘golden afternoon’, to the books it became - which explore themes as wide as culture, politics and scientific knowledge - and on to show the influence Alice has had on generations of children and adults.
One of the visually stunning rooms in Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser
And another. The colourful patterns are a changing projection onto the walls and table, on which the crockery appears to change design and colour.
Displays include costume designs from Alice-inspired theatre shows, inventively displayed examples of interpretations Alice by musicians and artists, and excerpts from film versions of the Alice story, including, of course, the most famous one of all
The 1951 Disney animation of Alice in Wonderland
It even offers the chance to experience falling down the rabbit hole and taking part in the infamous croquet game, thanks to the wonder of virtual reality
Ready to play? VR headsets give you the chance to participate in the famous croquet game. Hopefully you won’t lose your head!
Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser is on until December 31st 2021. Click here for information and tickets
These are only two of the exhibitions and displays on offer at the V&A. Others include Epic Iran which is on until September 21 and Landscape and Language in Books which is on until Jan 9 2022. What with the museum’s excellent Main Cafe and Garden Cafe, there’s everything you need for a full and fascinating day’s outing.
The museum is currently open from Wednesday to Sunday 1000-1745 and you need to book a ticket in advance to guarantee entry. General tickets to the permanent displays are available on the door, but you may have to wait. You’ll find all the information you need to plan a visit here
