COLLECTIONS

PLASTIC BAGS

MORE BAGS

HOW IT BEGAN

One day in the 1980's I noticed that British Home Stores had changed its BHS bags so that the H resembled a ribbon. I saved them both. It wasn't long before it was changed again, this time into a flowing script. Other stores were updating theirs. Chelsea Girl went from very bright colours, to pastel ones, and then to just cream. By 1990 it had changed into River Island and the bags had montages on them. By saving the ones I get in shops plus a few that friends have given to me I now have over 1500 and have only ever bought two - both for less than £1. In 1998 Blackburn Museum exhibited a selection of them in their 'People's Show'.    

The 'Cavalcade of Plastic Bags' shows a selection of about a quarter of my plastic bag collection.

The 'Succession of Plastic Bags' shows how some stores have changed their bags in the last 20 yrs.