Studio: international art (90.1925)

CORRESPONDENCE

[The Editor has decided to discontinue " The Lay Figure" which has,
up to the present, occupied the last page of each issue of the Magazine,
and will in future give this page to letters from readers. Letters may
relate to any aspect of the visual arts, and should not, as a rule, exceed
200 words in length. Longer letters may, however, be published from
time to time, if in the Editor's opinion their subjects are of great general
interest. The right is reserved to publish part of a letter, and in no case can
any communication intended for this page be returned. Full names and
addresses must be given by all correspondents, not necessarily for publication.]

To the Editor of The Studio.

Sir,—A man in uniform with a little
truck has just left a book at my door; he
handed it to me with the air of one con-
ferring a blessing. This is the ugliest and
most unattractive book I personally have
ever seen, except, perhaps, the earlier
editions of the same work. 0 0

By this time many of your readers will
have guessed that it is the London Tele-
phone Directory I mean. I don't think
Londoners love this book very much ; in
houses it is, of course, always hidden, but
in public places it has to be chained up
(I suppose for its own protection) : even
then it is ferociously attacked, and one
often sees copies hanging like dead star-
fish in Tube Stations and other places. 0

Is it not strange that one Government
Department should issue such a book
while another spends immense sums on
furthering art education and endeavouring
to raise the national standards of taste i 0

Why train thousands of young designers
from one Department and forbid all the
other Departments from making any use
of designers on the grounds of petty
economy i 0 0 0 a 0

Why should the Government set the
worst possible example in matters of

tastes' I was recently in a small country
town full of charming houses, but I saw
there a terrible eyesore in the main street—
it was the post office. The local architec-
ture has a definite character, but the post
office ignores it; it does its best to spoil
the harmony of this old street, and it goes
far towards doing so. Furthermore, this
building is not good for its own purpose,
it is ill-designed even as a post office. 0
I know very well what is always said
when these questions are raised : ** To
do things with taste costs more money; **
I also know the answer : " It doesn't." It
is as easy to get a good type for printing as
a bad. It is as cheap to choose a pleasant
coloured paper for binding a book as an
ugly one. Good architects are no dearer
than bad builders in the end. Recent
designs in connection with housing
schemes have proved quite beyond argu-
ment that buildings with some relation to*
their surroundings can be erected quite as
cheaply as the other kind ; it is simply a
question of design. The Government has
itself trained dozens of people competent
to advise it in these matters. Why, Sir,,
does it not seek their advice i 0 0
I am yours, etc.,

George Sheringham.

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