Focussing on the history of consumer culture from Victorian times to the present day, the Museum of Brands is a fascinating place to spend a couple of hours.
There’s plenty to see here, from old radios to fag packets, beer cans, toys and brand packaging over the decades.
Moonbase Alpha!
I was tempted to head west to see the Thunderbirds and Space: 1999 exhibition, billed as a ” celebration of Sci-fi Toys and Collectables.”
Running until the 19th April 2026, the display celebrates the landmark anniversaries of Gerry Anderson’s ground-breaking series Thunderbirds (first broadcast in 1965) and Space: 1999 (first premiered in 1975).
The museum’s permanent “Time Tunnel” exhibition reveals how consumer society has evolved since Victorian times, with brand designs covering royal coronations, two world wars, man landing on the moon and right up to the digital age.
BBC model an early Ziggy Stardust prototype.
I was intrigued by what the “Amazing Miss Britain 1951” actually looked like, and a quick search online revealed the disappointment looming for any purchasers:
There’s plenty of still familiar brands to be seen.
Bond… Shhamesh Bond.
Wo remembers Ski yoghurt?
PrinzSound was own-brand electronics arm of Dixons, a huge UK retailer who vanished after merging with Carphone Warehouse in 2014 and then being swallowed up whole by Currys.
Fab gear.
More info
Museum of Brands
111 – 117 Lancaster Road
Notting Hill, W11 1QT
London, United Kingdom
Opening Times
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00
Sundays: 11:00 – 17:00
Tel: 020 7243 9611
[email protected]