Studio: international art (48.1910)

The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society

LEATHER CARD CASE AND BOX

BY NELIA CASELLA

Crane himself wrote on " Decorative Painting and
Design " and on " Wall Papers " ; William Morris
on "Textiles"; G. T. Robinson on "Fictiles";
W. A. S. Benson on "Metal Work"; Somers
Clarke on " Stone and Wood Carving," " Stained
Glass" and "Table Glass"; Stephen Webb on
"Furniture"; T. J. Cobden-Sanderson on "Book-
binding " ; and Emery Walker on " Printing."

Although the average standard of the first
exhibition was not so high as that attained in
later years, some of the contributions were of great
excellence, and it is interesting to know the opinion
upon the earliest "Arts and Crafts" of a critic so
intelligent as Burne-Jones, who was, however, far
from approving of all that he saw there. " Amongst
some stuff and nonsense," he said, "are some
beautiful things, delightful to look at, and here for
the first time one can measure the change that has
happened in the last twenty years. I felt little
short of despair when I first heard of the project,
300

and now I am a bit elated." The lectures given
at the exhibition on technical subjects by various
members of the Arts and Crafts Society were of
great value, and to one of them we owe the re-
awakening of Morris's interest in printing, which
had been for a time dormant, and the foundation
of the famous Kelmscott Press. Indirectly this
was due to Mr. Cobden-Sanderson, whose account
of the affair will be best given in his own words,
written five years ago, in a note on the lectures. at
the first exhibition. "Perhaps in view of the results
which have flowed from it, and at this distance of
time I may dwell for a moment on the lecture on
Letterpress Printing. It was at my urgent request
that Mr. Emery Walker overcame his reluctance
to speak in public, and I therefore claim for myself
the honour of being the real author of the
Kelmscott Press. For it was in consequence of
this lecture, given by Mr. Emery Walker at my
request, and the lantern slides of beautiful old
founts of type and manuscripts by which it was
illustrated, that William Morris was induced to
turn again his attention to printing, and this time

LEATHER BOOK COVER BY NELIA CASELLA

as a printer to produce in friendly collaboration
with Mr. Walker that splendid series of printed
books which has inspired printing with a new life
and enriched the libraries of the world with books