International studio (51.1913/1914)

Arts and Crafts Exhibition


BY KARL V. RYDINSVARD

A TWELFTH-CENTURY
NORSE DOORWAY

During a large part of
December the exhibition rooms of the
National Arts Club were occupied by
the Society of Arts and Crafts, en-
gaged in holding its Seventh Annual
Exhibition. In looking over the hetero-
geneous wares exposed to view, it was
impossible to avoid being impressed by
a very striking note of the Society’s
enterprise, namely, the fact that with
one or two negligible exceptions, every-
thing was modern. On former occa-
sions, in order to ensure a fitting dis-
play, it has been necessary to call to
aid tapestries of Gobelin or Beauvais,
Indian carvings or some other trump
card, but on this occasion home-made
products prevailed, thus marking an
important step in progress. Much to
be seen was amateurish, but that is
only natural when we recall that the
movement is new and but few recruits
are drawn from the professional classes.
Some twenty years ago there were six-
teen societies in America whereas now
they number more than a hundred.
The main object of the Craft move-
ment is not to market their designs so
much as to promote home industry,
to give additional interest to life by
manufacturing things of beauty for
the home which machinery cannot
effect. Ever since the pre-Raphaelites
paved the way, aided by practical
men like Morris, Crane, Day and
others, I’art nouveau has claimed the
attention of thousands of people, and

Arts and crafts exhi-
bition, 1913
BY W. H. DE B. NELSON

CXCIX