DESIGN AND INDUSTRY.
(TO THE ED/TOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.") SIR,—MF. Clough Williams-Ellis, in his suggestive notes on the Exhibition of Industrial Art at South Kensington, expresses the hope that the collection " may tour the provinces as D.I.A. Exhibitions have done before it." I sincerely hope, and believe, it will. But your contributor will realize that his reference implies that the activities of the D.I.A. in this direction have ceased. He will rejoice to know that this is not so. At the time of writing there are Printing Exhibitions at Bradford and Birmingham; a Textiles Exhibition on a tour of Lancashire towns; an Exhibition of Furniture Designs at Manchester; an Exhibition of Pottery for Use and Beauty at 6 Queen Square, and a "Deliverance from Drudgery" Exhibition of Household Appliances will open here on February 6th. Furthermore, an Exhibition of Stage Designs, Models, and Posters is to open in March, and of Home Crafts for Pleasure and Profit in April. The Architectural Group have just completed the collection of material for an Exhibition of Good Shop Fronts, and Exhibi- tions of Printing for specific trades are being collected by the Printing Trades Group.
The entire series of exhibitions have already been applied for by a sufficient number of towns to necessitate a continuous fifteen months' tour; a fact which indicates the keen awakening interest of the provinces in design and industry. During the brief period from October, 1920, nearly two hundred thousand persons have visited D.I.A. exhibitions.
I enclose the first two issues of our News Sheet and shall be happy to send copies to any reader on application. I think you will agree that these little journals give evidence of the splendid vitality of the D.I.A. They tell a story of a huge amount of work on a very small income. The British Institute of Industrial Art does not supplant the D.I.A. Both bodies are working in complete sympathy. The Institute, however, is not concerned with the matter of cost but solely of fine pro- duction, whereas the D.I.A. seeks to bring the things of good design and good workmanship within the reach of all purses. This justifies the existence of both organizations.—I am, Sir,
CHARLES A. FARMER
(Secretary, Design and Industries Association). 6 Queen's Square, W.C. 1.
[Mr. Williams-Ellis's words, referred to in the first sentence of Mr. Farmer's letter, were not intended to bear, and in our opinion do not bear, the meaning attributed to them.—ED. Spectator.]
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