AVONCROFT MUSEUM: REINTERPRETATION OF THE SHOWMAN'S WAGON

In 2024 I was commissioned by Avoncroft Museum to produce signage as part of their project, ‘Reinterpretation of the Showman’s Wagon: Revealing the Hidden Stories of the Showmen Community’. This project had two aims: firstly, to direct visitors to view their restored Showman’s wagon (housed safely inside a shed) and secondly, to tell stories of the showmen community through greater interpretation.

Traditional Signwriting

Lining

Decorative Work

background & research

Avoncroft’s Showman’s Wagon was originally owned by Tom Clarke, who travelled a set of swingboats, which happened to be in the collection of The Fairground Heritage Trust. As part of my role on the FHT I was delighted to donate the swingboats to Avoncroft, to be reunited with the wagon and to assist in telling the history and work of Tom Clarke. The FHT also loaned some fairground artwork and gag cards to support the reinterpretation and subsequent exhibition.

With regard to the production of the signage, Avoncroft commissioned a large-scale exterior sign directing the visitors into see the wagon: this brief was for the sign to be bold, punchy and reminiscent of the wagon decor itself. As such, I recreated the lining work on the panels of the Showman’s Wagon as a border on the sign. Avoncroft also commissioned the design and production of eight interpretation panels: the borders (decorative and inspired by the fairground) and titles (in fariground-esque, legible lettering). In researching this, I looked to the Showman’s Wagon and the gag cards / fairground artwork the FHT had loaned to ensure the interpretation panels complimented the exhibition.

Amy Goodwin completing lining work for heritage and steam projects

the process

I proposed for the large-scale signage to use the colour palette of the Showman’s Wagon: a maroon background with pastel blue lettering, white outlines, black block shadow and pops of gold leaf – to create detail in the lettering and be reminiscent of the fairground.

For the interpretation panels, I expanded the colour palette to include the key colours from the Showman’s Wagon and added in a dark blue, red, orange, cream and deep green – with eight borders and titles to create, I needed a larger colour palette. Using scrolls, meticulous lines, traditional fairground ropework and art-deco inspired styles, I handpainted a series of borders to be rescaled and printed to frame the interpretation panels.