Postwar Cultural Diplomacy: V&A Contributions to Loan Exhibitions in the United States, 1945-1947

Abstract

This article examines the Victoria and Albert Museum’s (V&A) contributions to three loan exhibitions of British art staged in North America (1945-1947). These were paralleled by the V&A’s own temporary exhibitions, which tested new display methods in preparation for its postwar gallery reorganisation. Drawing on primary source research, and case studies of exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, the article explores how these efforts anticipated the V&A’s transformation and reinforced its transatlantic role in cultural diplomacy. Challenging prevailing narratives of the V&A’s detachment from international museum developments, the article highlights its engagement with wider patterns of postwar reconstruction and cultural exchange. It argues that temporary exhibitions—both at home andabroad—served as laboratories for curatorial innovation and diplomacy, reflecting the V&A’s adaptability and global relevance.