The result of one man's enthusiasm, The Robert Opie Collection is the the culmination of over 25 years' research and collecting by social historian Robert Opie. His collection, the largest of its type in the world, now numbers over 500,000 items relating to the history of our consumer society. It provides a fascinating insight into the British way of life over the past 100 years.

Museum of Brands, Packaging
& Advertising

Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, 2 Colville Mews, Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill, London, W11 2AR, England,Tel. 020 7908 0880

200 years of consumerism, reflected through packaging design, brand development, poster and TV advertising from the collection of Robert Opie.

Experience a nostalgic journey back through the memories of your childhood, all brought vividly to life again by the Robert Opie Collection, on display at Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising, a family attraction offering hours of great fun and entertainment.

The actual products, the brands, and advertising are all here for you to see.The Museum showcases how our ordinary lives have changed through the evolution of consumer brands. Open to the public to educate and entertain, the Museum features fascinating displays of everyday household products from the Victorian age right up to present day. Stocked with over 10,000 consumer goods and promotional images, the nostalgic Museum reflects how daily life has changed with the arrival of numerous new brands, from milk chocolate and corn flakes to yoghurt and soft margarine. Giving a glimpse of the kitchen cupboards from yesteryear, visitors will find familiar foods including Vesta packs, Oat Krunchies and Bird’s Dream Topping as well as observe changes in our pastimes from playing Ker- Plunk and Buck-a-Roo to Spacehoppers and Chopper bikes.

The Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising not only tells us the incredible story of our consumer society, but also revives our own memories placing us in the context of history - of which we are all a part.

The Museum documents our consumer society over the past 200 years, transporting families back through a time tunnel to see Victorian leisure pursuits, the Edwardian craze for ping-pong, the arrival of the radio, 1930s Art Deco style, wartime Forties, rock’n’roll ‘50s, the Swinging Sixties, outrageous platform shoes from the Seventies, and then right up to the present day. It’s the story of a consumer revolution that continues to evolve and change – a story that is both evocative and informative. The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising is the result of consumer historian, Robert Opie, who saw the need to record the history of the products around us. Starting the collection at the age of 16 with a packet of Munchies, the boundaries now extend to all aspects of daily life – toys, comics, magazines, newspapers, technology, travel, fashion and design. Robert says, “Whilst families tend to save mementoes from special occasions, it struck me that little was being done to keep the everyday material. When the thousands of pieces of this social history are assembled into some giant jig-saw, the result illustrates the remarkable journey we have all come through.”


Visiting Information

Opening Times:	10am to 6pm Tuesday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm Sunday.
Address:	The The Museum of Brands Packaging and Advertising 2 Colville Mews Lonsdale Road Notting Hill London W11 2AR England
Telephone:	020 7908 0880
Admissions:	Adults - £5.80, Children - £2, Families - £14, Concessions - £3.50
Public Transport:	Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate or Bus: No.23 click map to enlarge
Sponsors:	Kellogg’s, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, Twinings, Pi Global. Brand Sponsors : United Biscuits, Marks and Spencer, Diageo, Nestlé, Tate & Lyle, Vodafone, Premier Foods, McVitie’s. Industry Sponsors : Dayfold, RPC, ProCarton, MPMA, BAMA, The Canmakers, Chartered Institute of Marketing Charitable Trust

Museum of Advertising and Packaging, Gloucester

The Museum of Advertising and Packaging in Gloucester closed at the end of October 2001. The Collection re-opened to the public at the Notting Hill late in 2005, to bring Robert Opie’s collection to a wider audience.