Floodlit view of the Southbank during the Festival of Britain

This picture of the Festival of Britain on the South Bank was taken at night from Victoria Embankment. Planned by Atlee's Labour Government in 1947, the Festival of Britain was intended to introduce optimism to the austere post-war years, when people were still undergoing rationing. The festival was seen as the cultural equivalent of the birth of the Welfare State, which offered an egalitarian vision of post-war society. The Festival of Britain aimed to show Britain and the world the 'state of the nation' in many fields of endeavour at the mid-century. It also portrayed an optimistic and progressive view of Britain's future. The Royal Festival Hall embodied the best of contemporary design and was the only permanent structure built for the festival.