Toast rack
Classification(s):
Metal
Date: c.1951 - 1976
Organisation: Chichester Stainless Steelware
Dimensions:
49 × 185 mm (4.9 × 18.5 cm)
Medium: Stainless steel
Object number: M299F
See Also
Place of Production:England
DescriptionStainless steel toast rack by Chichester, made in England. The toast rack retains the original product label.
Makers mark to base “Chichester, Stainless Steel, Made in England 18:8 G”.
Makers mark to base “Chichester, Stainless Steel, Made in England 18:8 G”.
ProvenanceThis object was originally acquired from The Primavera Gallery, London.
This object was originally acquired for the Inner London Education Authority’s (ILEA) ‘Circulating Design Scheme’ collection.
The collection was instigated by the London Country Council (later the Greater London Council) and the Council of Industrial Design (COID). The collection’s original purpose was concerned with the teaching and dissemination of modern, ‘good design’.
The collection was established in 1951/52 as the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’, later renamed the ‘Circulating Design Scheme’.
The Circulating Design Scheme lent boxed showcases to London schools. The showcases contained handling objects, material samples and interpretation on a specific subject.
COID withdrew its involvement in the Scheme in 1957. After which time, it was managed exclusively by the London County Council from 1957-1963.
After the administrative restructuring of London authorities, the Scheme was jointly managed by the Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) from 1963 – 1976.
The Scheme was operational until 1976 when the collections were withdrawn from circulation. ILEA was abolished in the late 1980s and the collection was donated to Camberwell College of Arts in 1989/90.
ILEA was responsible for secondary and tertiary education in the inner London boroughs, this included Camberwell.
This object was originally acquired for the Inner London Education Authority’s (ILEA) ‘Circulating Design Scheme’ collection.
The collection was instigated by the London Country Council (later the Greater London Council) and the Council of Industrial Design (COID). The collection’s original purpose was concerned with the teaching and dissemination of modern, ‘good design’.
The collection was established in 1951/52 as the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’, later renamed the ‘Circulating Design Scheme’.
The Circulating Design Scheme lent boxed showcases to London schools. The showcases contained handling objects, material samples and interpretation on a specific subject.
COID withdrew its involvement in the Scheme in 1957. After which time, it was managed exclusively by the London County Council from 1957-1963.
After the administrative restructuring of London authorities, the Scheme was jointly managed by the Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) from 1963 – 1976.
The Scheme was operational until 1976 when the collections were withdrawn from circulation. ILEA was abolished in the late 1980s and the collection was donated to Camberwell College of Arts in 1989/90.
ILEA was responsible for secondary and tertiary education in the inner London boroughs, this included Camberwell.
NotesThis object was circulated to London schools as part of the Inner London Education Authority’s (I.L.E.A) Circulating Design Scheme, which operated from 1951-1976. The toast rack featured in the ‘Modern British Glass, Pottery, Metal, Wood and Textiles’ group in case number 2. This object was originally acquired from The Primavera Gallery, London. The associated record card indicates the boxed showcase was in use from 1970-76. Original photograph of boxed showcase copyright Harold King (Photography) Ltd, Morden, Surrey.
The toast rack was selected for the C.O.I.D London Design Centre, Haymarket, London.
The Inner London Education Authority’s (I.L.E.A) Circulating Design Scheme began in 1951 in the aftermath of the Festival of Britain’s huge success. Operating in its earliest guise as the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’, the Circulating Design Scheme (as it was later called) was intended to form a canon of ‘good taste’. During its first 5 years of operation, the Scheme was jointly managed in a partnership between the Council of Industrial Design (C.O.I.D) and the London County Council (L.C.C). However, it can be argued that the experiment; the idea for sets of exhibits illustrating the principles of good design, can be traced further back to the Council’s own inception.
C.O.I.D had played an important role in the Festival of Britain. As early as 1947, and in preparation for the Festival, C.O.I.D had been compiling a card index of over 20,000 objects – over half of which were exhibited at the Festival. It was from this vast pool of British-made objects that the first displays for the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’ were collated.
In April 1956 C.O.I.D opened its Design Centre on London’s Haymarket (in the same year, C.O.I.D withdrew its involvement in the Scheme, leaving it to be managed solely by the L.C.C.). The Design Centre was a permanent public space to present displays of contemporary British design, along with a programme of special exhibitions. It became the main vehicle for communicating C.O.I.D’s ideas to the wider public. In 1957, C.O.I.D’s ‘Good Design’ awards were established to improve design standards, and to promote the best in British designs and to encourage retailers to stock them. Despite not being directly involved, C.O.I.D continued to supply the Collection through its Design Centre and especially with products that had won its ‘Good Design’ awards. Many designs represented in The Camberwell ILEA Collection were recipients of the award, evident in stickers and labels still attached to the objects; this object is one example.
This object was originally acquired from The Primavera Gallery, London -
Henry Rothschild established himself as a gallery owner in 1945; he built personal relationships with important makers and greatly contributed to the flourishing of studio crafts in the 1950s. With his patronage of craft, Rothschild opened Primavera Gallery, which became known as a haven for experimental studio potters.
The surviving documentation surrounding the administration of the Inner London Education Authority’s (I.L.E.A) Circulating Design Scheme and the lending of boxed showcases to London schools inventories contents and frequently cite an object’s supplier. Schools were provided with a photograph and record card for each boxed showcase, allowing teachers to identify, check, record and report any missing or damaged objects on arrival. This documentation provides provenance information, reaffirming the relationship between I.L.E.A and Primavera. The latter supplied to the Scheme a variety of material including studio pottery, mass manufactured tableware, metal ware, folk art and ethnographic objects, examples of pop art and eighteenth and nineteenth century Dutch pastry moulds.
Primavera held numerous exhibitions. We know that I.L.E.A and the London County Council (L.C.C) bought from these exhibitions. In 1968 Primavera exhibited a group show of studio potters in the exhibition ‘German Potters’. The individuals later became known as the ‘German Group’, and it is likely that much of the German studio pottery in the collection was acquired from Primavera at this time.
Many of the objects that were exhibited in Primavera’s exhibition ‘International One: exhibition of folk art and crafts’ in 1963 were later acquired for the collection. For example, European pastry moulds, Mexican figurines and Peruvian ceramics originated from this show.
Rothschild travelled frequently and brought folk art and traditional craft from various countries. These objects were exhibited and sold through the Gallery, catering to the nascent trend for the ‘exotic’. The wooden ethnographic objects featured in the boxed showcase of the ‘Commonwealth Wood’ group are evidence of Rothschild’s propagation.
Primavera also stocked product design, for example the Ecko Ltd ‘Nova’ stackable tableware was purchased from Primavera.
The toast rack was selected for the C.O.I.D London Design Centre, Haymarket, London.
The Inner London Education Authority’s (I.L.E.A) Circulating Design Scheme began in 1951 in the aftermath of the Festival of Britain’s huge success. Operating in its earliest guise as the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’, the Circulating Design Scheme (as it was later called) was intended to form a canon of ‘good taste’. During its first 5 years of operation, the Scheme was jointly managed in a partnership between the Council of Industrial Design (C.O.I.D) and the London County Council (L.C.C). However, it can be argued that the experiment; the idea for sets of exhibits illustrating the principles of good design, can be traced further back to the Council’s own inception.
C.O.I.D had played an important role in the Festival of Britain. As early as 1947, and in preparation for the Festival, C.O.I.D had been compiling a card index of over 20,000 objects – over half of which were exhibited at the Festival. It was from this vast pool of British-made objects that the first displays for the ‘Experiment in Design Appreciation’ were collated.
In April 1956 C.O.I.D opened its Design Centre on London’s Haymarket (in the same year, C.O.I.D withdrew its involvement in the Scheme, leaving it to be managed solely by the L.C.C.). The Design Centre was a permanent public space to present displays of contemporary British design, along with a programme of special exhibitions. It became the main vehicle for communicating C.O.I.D’s ideas to the wider public. In 1957, C.O.I.D’s ‘Good Design’ awards were established to improve design standards, and to promote the best in British designs and to encourage retailers to stock them. Despite not being directly involved, C.O.I.D continued to supply the Collection through its Design Centre and especially with products that had won its ‘Good Design’ awards. Many designs represented in The Camberwell ILEA Collection were recipients of the award, evident in stickers and labels still attached to the objects; this object is one example.
This object was originally acquired from The Primavera Gallery, London -
Henry Rothschild established himself as a gallery owner in 1945; he built personal relationships with important makers and greatly contributed to the flourishing of studio crafts in the 1950s. With his patronage of craft, Rothschild opened Primavera Gallery, which became known as a haven for experimental studio potters.
The surviving documentation surrounding the administration of the Inner London Education Authority’s (I.L.E.A) Circulating Design Scheme and the lending of boxed showcases to London schools inventories contents and frequently cite an object’s supplier. Schools were provided with a photograph and record card for each boxed showcase, allowing teachers to identify, check, record and report any missing or damaged objects on arrival. This documentation provides provenance information, reaffirming the relationship between I.L.E.A and Primavera. The latter supplied to the Scheme a variety of material including studio pottery, mass manufactured tableware, metal ware, folk art and ethnographic objects, examples of pop art and eighteenth and nineteenth century Dutch pastry moulds.
Primavera held numerous exhibitions. We know that I.L.E.A and the London County Council (L.C.C) bought from these exhibitions. In 1968 Primavera exhibited a group show of studio potters in the exhibition ‘German Potters’. The individuals later became known as the ‘German Group’, and it is likely that much of the German studio pottery in the collection was acquired from Primavera at this time.
Many of the objects that were exhibited in Primavera’s exhibition ‘International One: exhibition of folk art and crafts’ in 1963 were later acquired for the collection. For example, European pastry moulds, Mexican figurines and Peruvian ceramics originated from this show.
Rothschild travelled frequently and brought folk art and traditional craft from various countries. These objects were exhibited and sold through the Gallery, catering to the nascent trend for the ‘exotic’. The wooden ethnographic objects featured in the boxed showcase of the ‘Commonwealth Wood’ group are evidence of Rothschild’s propagation.
Primavera also stocked product design, for example the Ecko Ltd ‘Nova’ stackable tableware was purchased from Primavera.
