1950-1975: Setting a new standard: Designing for Heals
1 The unusual Small Hours pattern, screen-printed cotton, was one of the designer’s first patterns following the success of Calyx, 1952. Three colour ways were produced. Courtesy of Francesca Galloway 1
Day, L., Plain or Fancy, Daily Mail Ideal Home Book, 1957, p. 84.
2 Pond, E., Design and the British Textile and Wallpaper Industries, Did Britain Make It? British Design in Context 1946-86 (Sparke, P editor), The Design Council, 1986,p.88.
“For a conservative country like ours, the new designs were accepted extraordinarily quickly” 1
With such an outstanding international success for the award winning Calyx pattern and subsequent international publicity and future commercial and financial success Heals were understandably quick to commission further designs from Lucienne Day. She was also finally paid the other part of the twenty guineas fee for Calyx. A close relationship was formed between Heals and Lucienne Day that would last for over twenty four years. This famous London store, established in 1810, had built up a reputation for being associated with good design and in about 1893 Ambrose Heal Jr. entered the family business. It was he who decided to move away from the popular over-ornate styles to help pioneer simplicity in furniture. He was a founder member of the Design and Industries Association (DIA) and was involved in the many debates about the improvement of design. Heals proved that there was a large market for quality goods and attractive design. Eddie Pond, a designer and a contemporary of Lucienne Day remarked that Heals” became synonymous with the most avant-garde furnishing fabrics of the day.” 2 Heals Fabrics Ltd. grew out of Heals Wholesale and Export Ltd. which was established in 1941 to export all Heals merchandise. By 1946 they were selling their own furnishing fabrics, by designers such as Helen Close and Dorothy Lupton, through their Wholesale and Export department. In 1948 Tom Worthington, who joined the company in 1929, took over the direction of the company and concentrated on textiles, with the intention of producing modern well designed fabrics at moderate prices. They were a converter rather than a manufacturer of textiles and were produced by a few print works including Stead McAlpine in Carlisle. Heals did not have a resident design team, as Tom Worthington took the view that a design team could not react quickly enough to changes in taste. He would see over ten thousand designs a year but selected about sixty of them, plus those bought the previous year but not yet put into production, to form a pool from which he chose those that would go into production in March and launched in November. He also visited various colleges across the country to look for potential new talent. Worthington commented, “You are purchasing designs you hope the public will buy in 18 months time... I watch fashion trends in all design fields, schools of painting 11
1950-1975: Setting a new standard: Designing for Heals
1 The unusual Small Hours pattern, screen-printed cotton, was one of the designer’s first patterns following the success of Calyx, 1952. Three colour ways were produced. Courtesy of Francesca Galloway 1
Day, L., Plain or Fancy, Daily Mail Ideal Home Book, 1957, p. 84.
2 Pond, E., Design and the British Textile and Wallpaper Industries, Did Britain Make It? British Design in Context 1946-86 (Sparke, P editor), The Design Council, 1986,p.88.
“For a conservative country like ours, the new designs were accepted extraordinarily quickly” 1
With such an outstanding international success for the award winning Calyx pattern and subsequent international publicity and future commercial and financial success Heals were understandably quick to commission further designs from Lucienne Day. She was also finally paid the other part of the twenty guineas fee for Calyx. A close relationship was formed between Heals and Lucienne Day that would last for over twenty four years. This famous London store, established in 1810, had built up a reputation for being associated with good design and in about 1893 Ambrose Heal Jr. entered the family business. It was he who decided to move away from the popular over-ornate styles to help pioneer simplicity in furniture. He was a founder member of the Design and Industries Association (DIA) and was involved in the many debates about the improvement of design. Heals proved that there was a large market for quality goods and attractive design. Eddie Pond, a designer and a contemporary of Lucienne Day remarked that Heals” became synonymous with the most avant-garde furnishing fabrics of the day.” 2 Heals Fabrics Ltd. grew out of Heals Wholesale and Export Ltd. which was established in 1941 to export all Heals merchandise. By 1946 they were selling their own furnishing fabrics, by designers such as Helen Close and Dorothy Lupton, through their Wholesale and Export department. In 1948 Tom Worthington, who joined the company in 1929, took over the direction of the company and concentrated on textiles, with the intention of producing modern well designed fabrics at moderate prices. They were a converter rather than a manufacturer of textiles and were produced by a few print works including Stead McAlpine in Carlisle. Heals did not have a resident design team, as Tom Worthington took the view that a design team could not react quickly enough to changes in taste. He would see over ten thousand designs a year but selected about sixty of them, plus those bought the previous year but not yet put into production, to form a pool from which he chose those that would go into production in March and launched in November. He also visited various colleges across the country to look for potential new talent. Worthington commented, “You are purchasing designs you hope the public will buy in 18 months time... I watch fashion trends in all design fields, schools of painting 11
and even architecture, and am able to secure what is likely to be accepted in the future in both design and colours.” 3 The success of Heals Fabrics was,
2 The Allegro (5110) pattern, screen printed cotton, seen as the follow up to the successful Calyx pattern, Heals, 1952. Images © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
“the entire doing of Tom Worthington, the most brilliant and dynamic impresario/converter in the business. He has discovered and made more textile designers than anyone else, and although all his fabrics carry the designer name, each collection is a comprehensive, recognisable unit clearly stamped ‘created by Tom Worthington.” 4
3 An example of the Flotilla (5115) pattern, screen-printed on linen for export and linen look rayon for the home market, 1952. The pattern retailed at 31s 11d per yard. Courtesy of the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Although not officially contracted with Heals, Lucienne Day would submit between four to six designs a year and was paid a fee for each design, with an additional small fee for each separate colouring, rather than a royalty. Through her association with Tom Worthington, she was given complete control over her designs, and they shared the same belief that good design could be mass produced. One of the first patterns to be launched after the success of Calyx was Allegro (5110) and according to the designer it was the successor to Calyx. However, despite featuring with Calyx in Heals catalogues, the designer felt that the bands of colour on the pattern were too strong and therefore the pattern was unbalanced (plate 2). 5 Allegro was followed by Flotilla in 1952, which represented an abstracted seascape and was, according to the designer, the nearest thing to a painting was she had done in textiles (plate 3). This small scale repeat pattern, printed on rayon, retailed at 16s 9d a yard and was selected for the budget “People’s House” at the Ideal Home Exhibition in 1952. Another pattern in a similar vein was Small Hours. Interestingly the painterly styles of these two patterns were soon put to one side by the designer who took a more minimalist and graphic approach towards developing new designs. Lucienne Day soon started to develop a new series of modern and economical patterns using her preferred media of a black pen.6 These innovative patterns, which consisted of a linear design, were set against a one coloured background that not only had a huge visual impact but also cut costs of production as most standard patterns required between five to ten different colours for printing thus making it possible to price her work competitively. This approach not only gave the designer many possibilities for colour variations that would appeal to a wider public but these simple linear designs typified her work from the early fifties (plate 4). For further inspiration she looked at the cartoon drawings of American illustrator Saul Steinberg, which appealed to her. Patterns such as Trio clearly show his influence both with regards to the application of line and the sense of humour, something that Lucienne Day used
3
Cheetham, D., Design Management: Choosing Decorative Designs, Design, November 1964, p.57. 4
Hughes-Stanton, C., A shop with high standards, Design, July 1965, p.47. 5
Information from the Lucienne Day Accounts book and Jackson, L., Robin and Lucienne Day; Pioneers of Contemporary Design, Mitchell Beaxzley, 12001, p. 78. 6
Author in conversation with Lucienne Day, May 1993.
13
and even architecture, and am able to secure what is likely to be accepted in the future in both design and colours.” 3 The success of Heals Fabrics was,
2 The Allegro (5110) pattern, screen printed cotton, seen as the follow up to the successful Calyx pattern, Heals, 1952. Images © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
“the entire doing of Tom Worthington, the most brilliant and dynamic impresario/converter in the business. He has discovered and made more textile designers than anyone else, and although all his fabrics carry the designer name, each collection is a comprehensive, recognisable unit clearly stamped ‘created by Tom Worthington.” 4
3 An example of the Flotilla (5115) pattern, screen-printed on linen for export and linen look rayon for the home market, 1952. The pattern retailed at 31s 11d per yard. Courtesy of the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Although not officially contracted with Heals, Lucienne Day would submit between four to six designs a year and was paid a fee for each design, with an additional small fee for each separate colouring, rather than a royalty. Through her association with Tom Worthington, she was given complete control over her designs, and they shared the same belief that good design could be mass produced. One of the first patterns to be launched after the success of Calyx was Allegro (5110) and according to the designer it was the successor to Calyx. However, despite featuring with Calyx in Heals catalogues, the designer felt that the bands of colour on the pattern were too strong and therefore the pattern was unbalanced (plate 2). 5 Allegro was followed by Flotilla in 1952, which represented an abstracted seascape and was, according to the designer, the nearest thing to a painting was she had done in textiles (plate 3). This small scale repeat pattern, printed on rayon, retailed at 16s 9d a yard and was selected for the budget “People’s House” at the Ideal Home Exhibition in 1952. Another pattern in a similar vein was Small Hours. Interestingly the painterly styles of these two patterns were soon put to one side by the designer who took a more minimalist and graphic approach towards developing new designs. Lucienne Day soon started to develop a new series of modern and economical patterns using her preferred media of a black pen.6 These innovative patterns, which consisted of a linear design, were set against a one coloured background that not only had a huge visual impact but also cut costs of production as most standard patterns required between five to ten different colours for printing thus making it possible to price her work competitively. This approach not only gave the designer many possibilities for colour variations that would appeal to a wider public but these simple linear designs typified her work from the early fifties (plate 4). For further inspiration she looked at the cartoon drawings of American illustrator Saul Steinberg, which appealed to her. Patterns such as Trio clearly show his influence both with regards to the application of line and the sense of humour, something that Lucienne Day used
3
Cheetham, D., Design Management: Choosing Decorative Designs, Design, November 1964, p.57. 4
Hughes-Stanton, C., A shop with high standards, Design, July 1965, p.47. 5
Information from the Lucienne Day Accounts book and Jackson, L., Robin and Lucienne Day; Pioneers of Contemporary Design, Mitchell Beaxzley, 12001, p. 78. 6
Author in conversation with Lucienne Day, May 1993.
13
4 A period image of Lucienne Day textiles selected by the designer for her article Plain or Fancy in the Daily Mail Ideal Home Book from 1957. From left to right: Ticker Tape, Script in jade and flame, Linear in charcoal, Graphica in white and red and Perpendicular in blue/pink (bottom) and spruce/brown, 1953 5 The Trio pattern, rollerprinted cotton, shows the designers use of her favoured black pen to create stylised linear designs complemented by a background of coloured bands. Designed for Heals, 1954. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 7 An interview with Lucienne Day on the Late Show, BBC 2 11th May 1993. 8 Miller, R., All in a Day’s Work, p.59-60. V&A Archive of Art and Design, Lucienne and Robin Day Archive (AAD/2011/9/347) 9 It is not known how many times Heals exhibited at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in London. 10 An advertisement for Bowmans Ltd illustrated in the Decorative Arts: The Studio Year Book 1955/1956, p.148.
often throughout her career, especially in designs such as Herb Antony and Spectators. Day noted the motifs in the Trio pattern “it’s obvious to me that they are supposed to be flowers, they don’t look much like flowers.” 7 She complemented these graphic motifs by using simple coloured stripes for the background so as not to confuse them with the drawing. (plate 5). Graphica, a personal favourite of the designer, was probably one of the most modernist designs of this period and a similar version was used for a wallpaper pattern for Rasch (plate 6). Whilst Day readily acknowledged the influence of the famous artists such as Joan Miró and Alexander Calder, she also made the important point that, “fashion influenced my work much more, because patterns of every kind were to some extent related to fashion.” 8 Heals advertised their products in several carefully selected magazines often with an image of a room setting including furniture, carpets and textiles to give the reader ideas about the interior, and whilst they credited the furniture designer, Lucienne Day was not mentioned. (plate 7). A few years later the company started to use full colour
advertisements promoting her latest collection of textiles alongside other Heals designers. Part of her success during the fifties onwards was due, in part, to the fact that Heals had established, over many years, an extensive number of quality retail shops that sold their fabrics across Britain and by the late fifties were exporting to over twenty five countries. These department stores and selected shops were located in places such as York, Norwich, Aberdeen, Oxford and Kendal Milne in Manchester which guaranteed that her latest designs would reach a much wider market than her other later work in wallpaper, ceramics and carpet design (plate 8). Her work was displayed alongside other Heals designers on the company’s stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in London. 9 At the same time, well established department stores with reputations for modern furniture and textiles such as Bowmans Ltd in London often featured Lucienne Day textiles in their own advertisements. 10 The sort of people that bought Heals fabrics were chiefly middle class people with money to afford her textiles which retailed during the early fifties at 10’ 9s a yard, though slightly more on a higher quality cloth. Her work was also exported to retailers across the world. As her patterns continued to be successful Heals became rather concerned that Lucienne Day was still undertaking contract work for several other clients including Liberty of London for whom she designed two patterns Coronation Rose in 1953 and Fritillary the following year. As they were in direct competition Heals asked her to work for them exclusively. Her new designs set a standard in British textile design as her work was so easily identifiable on the market for both its modernity and quality. With such an outstanding artistic and commercial success it wasn’t long before her ground breaking patterns were copied by other manufacturers. In particular, a copied version of Calyx was issued in America but with a much smaller repeat than the original. In Britain another manufacturer and competitor to Heals was David Whitehead Ltd., who produced a very similar design to Calyx using related graphic lines, shapes and mottled patterning but in a different colour range designed by Marian Mahler (plate 9). David Whitehead Ltd., based in Manchester, was set up in 1927, as an offshoot of the parent company Whitehead Group, established in 1815. Directly after the end of the Second World War, the chairman Clifford Whittaker decided to take a bold step and move
4 A period image of Lucienne Day textiles selected by the designer for her article Plain or Fancy in the Daily Mail Ideal Home Book from 1957. From left to right: Ticker Tape, Script in jade and flame, Linear in charcoal, Graphica in white and red and Perpendicular in blue/pink (bottom) and spruce/brown, 1953 5 The Trio pattern, rollerprinted cotton, shows the designers use of her favoured black pen to create stylised linear designs complemented by a background of coloured bands. Designed for Heals, 1954. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 7 An interview with Lucienne Day on the Late Show, BBC 2 11th May 1993. 8 Miller, R., All in a Day’s Work, p.59-60. V&A Archive of Art and Design, Lucienne and Robin Day Archive (AAD/2011/9/347) 9 It is not known how many times Heals exhibited at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in London. 10 An advertisement for Bowmans Ltd illustrated in the Decorative Arts: The Studio Year Book 1955/1956, p.148.
often throughout her career, especially in designs such as Herb Antony and Spectators. Day noted the motifs in the Trio pattern “it’s obvious to me that they are supposed to be flowers, they don’t look much like flowers.” 7 She complemented these graphic motifs by using simple coloured stripes for the background so as not to confuse them with the drawing. (plate 5). Graphica, a personal favourite of the designer, was probably one of the most modernist designs of this period and a similar version was used for a wallpaper pattern for Rasch (plate 6). Whilst Day readily acknowledged the influence of the famous artists such as Joan Miró and Alexander Calder, she also made the important point that, “fashion influenced my work much more, because patterns of every kind were to some extent related to fashion.” 8 Heals advertised their products in several carefully selected magazines often with an image of a room setting including furniture, carpets and textiles to give the reader ideas about the interior, and whilst they credited the furniture designer, Lucienne Day was not mentioned. (plate 7). A few years later the company started to use full colour
advertisements promoting her latest collection of textiles alongside other Heals designers. Part of her success during the fifties onwards was due, in part, to the fact that Heals had established, over many years, an extensive number of quality retail shops that sold their fabrics across Britain and by the late fifties were exporting to over twenty five countries. These department stores and selected shops were located in places such as York, Norwich, Aberdeen, Oxford and Kendal Milne in Manchester which guaranteed that her latest designs would reach a much wider market than her other later work in wallpaper, ceramics and carpet design (plate 8). Her work was displayed alongside other Heals designers on the company’s stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia in London. 9 At the same time, well established department stores with reputations for modern furniture and textiles such as Bowmans Ltd in London often featured Lucienne Day textiles in their own advertisements. 10 The sort of people that bought Heals fabrics were chiefly middle class people with money to afford her textiles which retailed during the early fifties at 10’ 9s a yard, though slightly more on a higher quality cloth. Her work was also exported to retailers across the world. As her patterns continued to be successful Heals became rather concerned that Lucienne Day was still undertaking contract work for several other clients including Liberty of London for whom she designed two patterns Coronation Rose in 1953 and Fritillary the following year. As they were in direct competition Heals asked her to work for them exclusively. Her new designs set a standard in British textile design as her work was so easily identifiable on the market for both its modernity and quality. With such an outstanding artistic and commercial success it wasn’t long before her ground breaking patterns were copied by other manufacturers. In particular, a copied version of Calyx was issued in America but with a much smaller repeat than the original. In Britain another manufacturer and competitor to Heals was David Whitehead Ltd., who produced a very similar design to Calyx using related graphic lines, shapes and mottled patterning but in a different colour range designed by Marian Mahler (plate 9). David Whitehead Ltd., based in Manchester, was set up in 1927, as an offshoot of the parent company Whitehead Group, established in 1815. Directly after the end of the Second World War, the chairman Clifford Whittaker decided to take a bold step and move
into the production of modern textiles and appointed John Murray as Director of Furnishings, in 1948, even though he had no training in the textiles industry.11 They wanted to promote good design which was affordable to those people in smaller homes which they achieved by investing in advanced machinery, cheaper cloth and using contemporary patterns by designers such as Marian Mahler, Roger Nicholson, Jacqueline Groag and Terence Conran (plate 10). The company must have been extremely focused on developing new patterns as twenty examples of David Whitehead textiles were accepted and shown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Richard Chamberlain commented they, “ used the Festival of Britain as a spring board to launch their first major collection of Contemporary designs and quickly established themselves as market leaders.” 12 This successful venture into contemporary textiles brought David Whitehead Ltd into direct competition with department stores such as Heals as they were able to price their fabrics competitively at about 9s 11d a yard which was less expensive than examples designed by Lucienne Day priced at about 11s 9d a yard for her Magnetic pattern on cotton whilst her Mezzanine pattern, printed on viscose satin retailed at 27s 9d. Her later Plantation pattern retailed at £1 1s 9d on cotton and on satin £1 4s 9d. Whilst Lucienne Day often expressed her reservations about unskilled textile designs
6 The Graphica pattern was one of the designers’ most minimalist designs relying on directional lines without decoration or abstract motifs. It was also one of her favourite patterns and showed the influence of Steinberg, designed for Heals, 1953. 7 A Heals advertisement promoting the latest production to be shown at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia, London. The dining chair was designed by A.J. Milne, in beech alongside curtains printed with the Script pattern by Lucienne Day, 1956 8 A Heals advertisement featuring the latest Lucienne Day patterns: Linear, Flower Show, Trio, Springboard and Chequers, alongside a list of all stockists demonstrating that her textiles were sold across the country rather than just London and the suburbs, 1954 11
Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd: Artist Designed Textiles 19521969, Oldham Leisure Services, 1993.
12 Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain, R., (editors), Austerity to Affluence, British Art and Design 1945-1962, Merrell Holberton, 1997, p.36.
17
into the production of modern textiles and appointed John Murray as Director of Furnishings, in 1948, even though he had no training in the textiles industry.11 They wanted to promote good design which was affordable to those people in smaller homes which they achieved by investing in advanced machinery, cheaper cloth and using contemporary patterns by designers such as Marian Mahler, Roger Nicholson, Jacqueline Groag and Terence Conran (plate 10). The company must have been extremely focused on developing new patterns as twenty examples of David Whitehead textiles were accepted and shown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Richard Chamberlain commented they, “ used the Festival of Britain as a spring board to launch their first major collection of Contemporary designs and quickly established themselves as market leaders.” 12 This successful venture into contemporary textiles brought David Whitehead Ltd into direct competition with department stores such as Heals as they were able to price their fabrics competitively at about 9s 11d a yard which was less expensive than examples designed by Lucienne Day priced at about 11s 9d a yard for her Magnetic pattern on cotton whilst her Mezzanine pattern, printed on viscose satin retailed at 27s 9d. Her later Plantation pattern retailed at £1 1s 9d on cotton and on satin £1 4s 9d. Whilst Lucienne Day often expressed her reservations about unskilled textile designs
6 The Graphica pattern was one of the designers’ most minimalist designs relying on directional lines without decoration or abstract motifs. It was also one of her favourite patterns and showed the influence of Steinberg, designed for Heals, 1953. 7 A Heals advertisement promoting the latest production to be shown at the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia, London. The dining chair was designed by A.J. Milne, in beech alongside curtains printed with the Script pattern by Lucienne Day, 1956 8 A Heals advertisement featuring the latest Lucienne Day patterns: Linear, Flower Show, Trio, Springboard and Chequers, alongside a list of all stockists demonstrating that her textiles were sold across the country rather than just London and the suburbs, 1954 11
Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd: Artist Designed Textiles 19521969, Oldham Leisure Services, 1993.
12 Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain, R., (editors), Austerity to Affluence, British Art and Design 1945-1962, Merrell Holberton, 1997, p.36.
17
coming onto the market she made it clear that this did not refer to David Whitehead Ltd., stating that they, “broke with tradition and gave the mass market gay, colourful and imaginative designs. Whitehead became synonymous with the contemporary print, banishing forever the era of muddy floral and ‘folksy’ print patterns!” 13 Lucienne Day’s work was often promoted by her husband Robin when he used her latest textiles for the many exhibition stands and room settings that he designed for British trade fairs and importantly for the international market. In 1952 Robin Day and Milner Gray organised a travelling exhibition in Norway for the Landsforeningen Norsk Brukskunt in Norway, which featured three hundred exhibits including Days fabrics: Calyx, Acres, Fall and Allegro. 14 The exhibition visited Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. In 1954 Robin Day was asked to create a room setting for the tenth Milan Trienalle. Besides using examples of his own furniture and ceramics by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie he selected examples of his wife’s textiles: Ticker Tape, Spectators, Linear and Graphica. Such was the recognition for her progressive designs she was awarded the very highest honour at the event. In an article for The Ambassador Misha Black, a prominent designer, commented that, “floral prints may, for the moment, enjoy special popularity but that non-representational designs earn their own just recognition was evident at the 10th Trienalle in Milan, where Lucienne Day was awarded the highest prize-the Gran Premio.” 15 The famous Swedish textile designer, Astrid Sampe, also won an award for her abstract Windy Way pattern. Lucienne Day’s textiles were also featured in other room settings at trade exhibitions and for publicity photographs (plate 11). These period images promoted the latest designs such as Rig, Travelogue and Isoceles (plate 12). Probably the most well known pattern after Calyx must be Herb Antony, launched in 1956, a skilfully designed pattern clearly influenced by the artist Joan Miró with wiry figures and small odd shapes of bold colours similar to his mobiles (plate 13). The designer carefully selected a choice of red, yellow, purple, green or black backgrounds which, depending on the background colour, dramatically changed the look of the pattern (plate 14). According to the designer the pattern was named after Antony Heal as a thank-you to him.16 The design was soon followed by Spectators, said to have been inspired by the sculptures of Alberto Giacometti but the design was rather softened by the addition of humorous faces, some wearing glasses.
During the fifties the use of plastic laminates increased as they were so popular with the housewife in her new kitchen. The furniture manufacturer Kandya Ltd used plastic laminates on some of their furniture including some patterns by Lucienne Day. Kandya, established in the 1920’s, became well known for their high quality modular units designed to fit new smaller homes. In addition they added chairs, tables and stools, mainly designed by Frank Guille, appointed as consultant designer in 1953.17These examples of furniture often incorporated plastic laminates both plain and patterned supplied by Warerite, a leading specialist who had started to develop decorative laminates during the thirties, alongside other manufacturers. With technological advances in the fifties the quality of laminates improved leaving the task of surface patterns to be discussed. In an article about plastic laminates Paul Reilly noted that, “with such possibilities the run-of-the–mill production could not forever remain tied to timid pastels and discreet over all patterns. The cycle of taste, moreover, would be likely to veer away from monotony towards something bolder and more interesting. What was happening to wallpapers and textiles and carpets would probably overtake these new materials too.” 18 Another article in Design warned that plastic laminates should be, “readily distinguishable from wallpapers or printed textiles.” 19 Warerite, a company owned by Bakelite Ltd., were a progressive company and appointed John Murray as design consultant in 1957. The company had their own Design Studio, managed by J.M.Thompson, to develop new patterns for stock production as well as contracting designers to design for them including Humphrey Spender and Jacqueline Groag who designed patterns such as Manhattan and Metropolis. Paul Reilly added that, “We have recently seen modern textile patterns slapped on plates in the name of contemporary design; and if on plates why not laminates which are at least flat squared surfaces.” 20 At some stage patterns for textiles by Lucienne Day were used by Kandya on their furniture which included her Linear pattern applied to the surface of a sideboard.21 Heals used the Ducatoon pattern for a plastic laminate.22 It is also not known whether the designer provided further patterns for Warerite or even specially created laminate designs for them. During the late fifties, or possibly early sixties, representatives from De La Rue Plastics Ltd, who had drawn up a license with Formica Ltd, an American company in 1947, approached Lucienne Day about developing designs for
9 An example of a textile pattern designed by Marian Mahler, showing a direct influence of Lucienne Daysʼ Calyx pattern issued a few years earlier. Produced by David Whitehead Ltd., 1953. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 10 An abstract pattern by Jacqueline Groag, one of the most interesting and versatile designers working during the fifties and sixties. Designed for David Whitehead Ltd., 1952. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 13
Quote by Lucienne Day taken from: Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd: Artist Designed Textiles 1952-1969, Oldham Leisure Services, 1993.
14
British Contemporary Designers, Design, July 1952, p.14
15
Black, M., Perceptive Consistency, The Ambassador, August 1955.
16 Lucienne Day in conversation with the author, May 1993. 17
Examples of Kandya furniture are illustrated in: Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain, R., (editors), Austerity to Affluence, British Art and Design 1945-1962, Merrell Holberton, 1997. p.33-34.
18
Reilly, P., A decorative future for Plastic Laminates, Design, December 1954, p. 9-13.
19 Patterns with Possibilities, Design, April 1957, p. 36. 20 Reilly, P., A decorative future for Plastic Laminates, Design, December 1954, p.12. 21 This is illustrated in Jackson, L, The New Look: Design in the Fifties, Thames and Hudson, 1991, p.80. 22
Information from Jackson, L., Robin and Lucienne Day: Pioneers of Contemporary Design, Mitchell Beazley, 2001, p. 183.
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coming onto the market she made it clear that this did not refer to David Whitehead Ltd., stating that they, “broke with tradition and gave the mass market gay, colourful and imaginative designs. Whitehead became synonymous with the contemporary print, banishing forever the era of muddy floral and ‘folksy’ print patterns!” 13 Lucienne Day’s work was often promoted by her husband Robin when he used her latest textiles for the many exhibition stands and room settings that he designed for British trade fairs and importantly for the international market. In 1952 Robin Day and Milner Gray organised a travelling exhibition in Norway for the Landsforeningen Norsk Brukskunt in Norway, which featured three hundred exhibits including Days fabrics: Calyx, Acres, Fall and Allegro. 14 The exhibition visited Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. In 1954 Robin Day was asked to create a room setting for the tenth Milan Trienalle. Besides using examples of his own furniture and ceramics by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie he selected examples of his wife’s textiles: Ticker Tape, Spectators, Linear and Graphica. Such was the recognition for her progressive designs she was awarded the very highest honour at the event. In an article for The Ambassador Misha Black, a prominent designer, commented that, “floral prints may, for the moment, enjoy special popularity but that non-representational designs earn their own just recognition was evident at the 10th Trienalle in Milan, where Lucienne Day was awarded the highest prize-the Gran Premio.” 15 The famous Swedish textile designer, Astrid Sampe, also won an award for her abstract Windy Way pattern. Lucienne Day’s textiles were also featured in other room settings at trade exhibitions and for publicity photographs (plate 11). These period images promoted the latest designs such as Rig, Travelogue and Isoceles (plate 12). Probably the most well known pattern after Calyx must be Herb Antony, launched in 1956, a skilfully designed pattern clearly influenced by the artist Joan Miró with wiry figures and small odd shapes of bold colours similar to his mobiles (plate 13). The designer carefully selected a choice of red, yellow, purple, green or black backgrounds which, depending on the background colour, dramatically changed the look of the pattern (plate 14). According to the designer the pattern was named after Antony Heal as a thank-you to him.16 The design was soon followed by Spectators, said to have been inspired by the sculptures of Alberto Giacometti but the design was rather softened by the addition of humorous faces, some wearing glasses.
During the fifties the use of plastic laminates increased as they were so popular with the housewife in her new kitchen. The furniture manufacturer Kandya Ltd used plastic laminates on some of their furniture including some patterns by Lucienne Day. Kandya, established in the 1920’s, became well known for their high quality modular units designed to fit new smaller homes. In addition they added chairs, tables and stools, mainly designed by Frank Guille, appointed as consultant designer in 1953.17These examples of furniture often incorporated plastic laminates both plain and patterned supplied by Warerite, a leading specialist who had started to develop decorative laminates during the thirties, alongside other manufacturers. With technological advances in the fifties the quality of laminates improved leaving the task of surface patterns to be discussed. In an article about plastic laminates Paul Reilly noted that, “with such possibilities the run-of-the–mill production could not forever remain tied to timid pastels and discreet over all patterns. The cycle of taste, moreover, would be likely to veer away from monotony towards something bolder and more interesting. What was happening to wallpapers and textiles and carpets would probably overtake these new materials too.” 18 Another article in Design warned that plastic laminates should be, “readily distinguishable from wallpapers or printed textiles.” 19 Warerite, a company owned by Bakelite Ltd., were a progressive company and appointed John Murray as design consultant in 1957. The company had their own Design Studio, managed by J.M.Thompson, to develop new patterns for stock production as well as contracting designers to design for them including Humphrey Spender and Jacqueline Groag who designed patterns such as Manhattan and Metropolis. Paul Reilly added that, “We have recently seen modern textile patterns slapped on plates in the name of contemporary design; and if on plates why not laminates which are at least flat squared surfaces.” 20 At some stage patterns for textiles by Lucienne Day were used by Kandya on their furniture which included her Linear pattern applied to the surface of a sideboard.21 Heals used the Ducatoon pattern for a plastic laminate.22 It is also not known whether the designer provided further patterns for Warerite or even specially created laminate designs for them. During the late fifties, or possibly early sixties, representatives from De La Rue Plastics Ltd, who had drawn up a license with Formica Ltd, an American company in 1947, approached Lucienne Day about developing designs for
9 An example of a textile pattern designed by Marian Mahler, showing a direct influence of Lucienne Daysʼ Calyx pattern issued a few years earlier. Produced by David Whitehead Ltd., 1953. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 10 An abstract pattern by Jacqueline Groag, one of the most interesting and versatile designers working during the fifties and sixties. Designed for David Whitehead Ltd., 1952. Collection H. Kirk III Brown and Jill A. Wiltse 13
Quote by Lucienne Day taken from: Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd: Artist Designed Textiles 1952-1969, Oldham Leisure Services, 1993.
14
British Contemporary Designers, Design, July 1952, p.14
15
Black, M., Perceptive Consistency, The Ambassador, August 1955.
16 Lucienne Day in conversation with the author, May 1993. 17
Examples of Kandya furniture are illustrated in: Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain, R., (editors), Austerity to Affluence, British Art and Design 1945-1962, Merrell Holberton, 1997. p.33-34.
18
Reilly, P., A decorative future for Plastic Laminates, Design, December 1954, p. 9-13.
19 Patterns with Possibilities, Design, April 1957, p. 36. 20 Reilly, P., A decorative future for Plastic Laminates, Design, December 1954, p.12. 21 This is illustrated in Jackson, L, The New Look: Design in the Fifties, Thames and Hudson, 1991, p.80. 22
Information from Jackson, L., Robin and Lucienne Day: Pioneers of Contemporary Design, Mitchell Beazley, 2001, p. 183.
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