Save the date: Private View Thursday 5th March, 5-7pm all welcome
We are incredibly excited to be hosting a new show in our studio this Spring. ‘Excess Baggage’ is the debut exhibition from the vaults of the Paper Bag Archive (which boasts the world’s largest collection of paper bags), and is a nostalgic trip back down the British high street of the last 100 years
This exhibition, which will be displaying a mere 200 bags from the full 2500+ collection, has been curated to specifically shine a spotlight on the evolution of the visual language of big retail brands (Habitat & Selfridges), shops local to Liverpool (George Henry Lee, Owen Owen, Lewis's, Hendersons, Blacklers, Royal Liver Building), museums and galleries (Tate, Barbican, National Gallery, Walker Art Gallery) and Dorothy’s favourite Liverpool record store (Probe).
This fascinating archive will be of interest not just to designers, design students and packaging geeks but to everyone who fondly remembers spending their pocket money in physical stores. It provides a unique slice of social history.
More about the archive: The Paper Bag Archive is devoted to the collection, conservation, and celebration of these once ubiquitous pieces paper. They provide a rare and timely insight into our relatively recent consumer past. The archive spans from the early 1900s to the present day. From the local corner shop to high street department stores, this is a reflection of a more innocent design era. At a time of the logotype rather than the brand, the Filofax as opposed to the mobile, the fax machine instead of Facebook. When the word ‘virtual’ was not yet a reality.
The archive is the collection of graphic designer Tim Sumner, creative director of Studio Summon.
Image © Paper Bag Archive
Image © Paper Bag Archive
Exhibition runs 6th - 27th March 2026
Private view on Thursday 5th March 2026, 5 - 7pm - All welcome
⏰ Opening hours
Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm
Saturday - Sunday Closed * exceptions below
• Special Saturday opening on 7th March 11am - 4pm
📍 Dorothy / 22 Jordan Street / Liverpool / L1 0BP * entrance is round the corner on Jamaica Street
Follow Paper Bag Archive on Instagram here