Recently, four of our Liberal Arts students enjoyed a trip to the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, with History Teacher Karen Heath. After viewing the main collection of childhood games and ephemera, the group visited a special exhibition on War Games that analysed the relationship between war and play through toys, such as GI Joe.
Located in the East End of London, many of the museum's individual displays were organised to showcase the diversity of the local community. After exploring the exhibitions, the students discussed changing gender norms in Britain in the immediate post-war period, with references to toys, from rattles and teddy bears to Star Wars and Barbie. They also debated the successes (and failures) of the women's movement in Britain.
Here's what our Liberal Arts students had to say about the trip:
- “I found the childhood exhibitions very interesting because it was a completely different way of viewing history. I got to observe historical trends, ideas, and events through everyday objects. I also enjoyed learning about how childhood greatly affects adulthood, and therefore society.” ~ Katie Modesitt
- “The museum was very interesting in the way that it shows the evolution of British society and their point of view on gender and children. It is nice to see what has changed in 50 years and what hasn’t in the lives of British people.” ~ Manon Macharis
- “I really enjoyed the War Games exhibit at the Museum of Childhood. I thought it very accurately displayed the propaganda directed at children and how that affected public sentiment. I found the museum to be very eclectically displayed and interesting. I liked how the exhibits and displays offered a look into the evolution of gender norms through the toys.” ~ Jamie Santos
- “It was interesting how toys have evolved through time, but are in some ways still the same as in the 1950s, for example. We got a very nice perspective of evolution through time, such as the fact that the household toys that girls used to play with are still the same today, but underwent technological change. The War Games exhibit was very interesting.” ~ Chloé Macharis