during the exhibition. This use of a working model in particular was commented on in surveys of exhibition visitors carried out by Mass Observation. Another Design Research Unit exhibit was their design and scale model for a railway coach, a double-decked third class sleeper. This represented two innovations for Britain, indicative of this egalitarian age: the first sleeper for third class rather than first, and also the technical development of fitting two levels into the restricted British loading gauge by the use of a well car. Reactions to the exhibition A popular reaction in the press was to term it, "Britain Can't Have It" as the country was still in the grip of wartime Austerity measures and the goods on display were intended for export. Reactions of those attending the exhibition were varied between the general public, the design intelligentsia and the manufacturers. Critics', such as John Gloag's, reactions were highly positive, congratulating the exhibition organisers both on the intellectual quality of their exhibition and also for the achievement of producing it during such a time of austerity. The public's reaction was less sophisticated, but still positive. Their view was generally that of simply wanting products in the shops that they could actually buy. The only real criticisms came from established manufacturers who largely failed to appreciate the exhibition's attempt to emphasise design and who still judged it as a simple shop-window display, of their same pre-war products. See also Festival of Britain References Further reading Woodham, Jonathan M. (2004) Design and everyday life at the Britain can make it exhibition, 1946: 'stripes, spots, white wood and homespun versus chintzy armchairs and iron bedsteads with brass knobs' Journal of Architecture, 9 (4). ISSN 1360-2365 External links Posters and graphic art at BCMI Designing Britain 1945-1975 online resource Design Council Archive Comprehensive collection of digitised photographs and digitised negatives from Britain Can Make It on the Archives Hub King Opens Britain Can Make it Exhibition, 1946 - British Pathé Film British design exhibitions Design Council Austerity in the United Kingdom (1939–1954) Victoria and Albert Museum 1946 in London 1946 in art