11

“For a conservative country like ours,the new designs were acceptedextraordinarily quickly” 1

With such an outstandinginternational success for the award

winning Calyx pattern and subsequentinternational publicity and future commercialand financial success Heals were understandablyquick to commission further designs fromLucienne Day. She was also finally paid the otherpart of the twenty guineas fee for Calyx. A closerelationship was formed between Heals andLucienne Day that would last for over twentyfour years. This famous London store,established in 1810, had built up a reputation forbeing associated with good design and in about1893 Ambrose Heal Jr. entered the familybusiness. It was he who decided to move awayfrom the popular over-ornate styles to helppioneer simplicity in furniture. He was a foundermember of the Design and Industries Association(DIA) and was involved in the many debatesabout the improvement of design. Heals provedthat there was a large market for quality goodsand attractive design. Eddie Pond, a designerand a contemporary of Lucienne Day remarkedthat Heals” became synonymous with the mostavant-garde furnishing fabrics of the day.” 2

Heals Fabrics Ltd. grew out of HealsWholesale and Export Ltd. which wasestablished in 1941 to export all Healsmerchandise. By 1946 they were selling theirown furnishing fabrics, by designers such asHelen Close and Dorothy Lupton, through theirWholesale and Export department. In 1948 TomWorthington, who joined the company in 1929,took over the direction of the company andconcentrated on textiles, with the intention ofproducing modern well designed fabrics atmoderate prices. They were a converter ratherthan a manufacturer of textiles and wereproduced by a few print works including SteadMcAlpine in Carlisle. Heals did not have aresident design team, as Tom Worthington tookthe view that a design team could not reactquickly enough to changes in taste. He wouldsee over ten thousand designs a year butselected about sixty of them, plus those boughtthe previous year but not yet put intoproduction, to form a pool from which he chosethose that would go into production in Marchand launched in November. He also visitedvarious colleges across the country to look forpotential new talent. Worthington commented,“You are purchasing designs you hope the publicwill buy in 18 months time... I watch fashiontrends in all design fields, schools of painting

1950-1975: Setting a new standard:Designing for Heals

1 The unusual Small Hourspattern, screen-printedcotton, was one of thedesigner’s first patternsfollowing the success of Calyx,1952. Three colour ways wereproduced. Courtesy ofFrancesca Galloway1 Day, L., Plain or Fancy, DailyMail Ideal Home Book, 1957, p. 84.2 Pond, E., Design and the BritishTextile and Wallpaper Industries,Did Britain Make It? BritishDesign in Context 1946-86(Sparke, P editor), The DesignCouncil, 1986,p.88.

11

“For a conservative country like ours,the new designs were acceptedextraordinarily quickly” 1

With such an outstandinginternational success for the award

winning Calyx pattern and subsequentinternational publicity and future commercialand financial success Heals were understandablyquick to commission further designs fromLucienne Day. She was also finally paid the otherpart of the twenty guineas fee for Calyx. A closerelationship was formed between Heals andLucienne Day that would last for over twentyfour years. This famous London store,established in 1810, had built up a reputation forbeing associated with good design and in about1893 Ambrose Heal Jr. entered the familybusiness. It was he who decided to move awayfrom the popular over-ornate styles to helppioneer simplicity in furniture. He was a foundermember of the Design and Industries Association(DIA) and was involved in the many debatesabout the improvement of design. Heals provedthat there was a large market for quality goodsand attractive design. Eddie Pond, a designerand a contemporary of Lucienne Day remarkedthat Heals” became synonymous with the mostavant-garde furnishing fabrics of the day.” 2

Heals Fabrics Ltd. grew out of HealsWholesale and Export Ltd. which wasestablished in 1941 to export all Healsmerchandise. By 1946 they were selling theirown furnishing fabrics, by designers such asHelen Close and Dorothy Lupton, through theirWholesale and Export department. In 1948 TomWorthington, who joined the company in 1929,took over the direction of the company andconcentrated on textiles, with the intention ofproducing modern well designed fabrics atmoderate prices. They were a converter ratherthan a manufacturer of textiles and wereproduced by a few print works including SteadMcAlpine in Carlisle. Heals did not have aresident design team, as Tom Worthington tookthe view that a design team could not reactquickly enough to changes in taste. He wouldsee over ten thousand designs a year butselected about sixty of them, plus those boughtthe previous year but not yet put intoproduction, to form a pool from which he chosethose that would go into production in Marchand launched in November. He also visitedvarious colleges across the country to look forpotential new talent. Worthington commented,“You are purchasing designs you hope the publicwill buy in 18 months time... I watch fashiontrends in all design fields, schools of painting

1950-1975: Setting a new standard:Designing for Heals

1 The unusual Small Hourspattern, screen-printedcotton, was one of thedesigner’s first patternsfollowing the success of Calyx,1952. Three colour ways wereproduced. Courtesy ofFrancesca Galloway1 Day, L., Plain or Fancy, DailyMail Ideal Home Book, 1957, p. 84.2 Pond, E., Design and the BritishTextile and Wallpaper Industries,Did Britain Make It? BritishDesign in Context 1946-86(Sparke, P editor), The DesignCouncil, 1986,p.88.

and even architecture, and am able to securewhat is likely to be accepted in the future inboth design and colours.” 3 The success of HealsFabrics was,

Although not officially contracted withHeals, Lucienne Day would submit between fourto six designs a year and was paid a fee for eachdesign, with an additional small fee for eachseparate 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 designcould be mass produced. One of the first patternsto be launched after the success of Calyx wasAllegro (5110) and according to the designer itwas the successor to Calyx. However, despitefeaturing with Calyx in Heals catalogues, thedesigner felt that the bands of colour on thepattern were too strong and therefore thepattern was unbalanced (plate 2). 5 Allegro wasfollowed by Flotilla in 1952, which represented anabstracted seascape and was, according to thedesigner, the nearest thing to a painting was shehad done in textiles (plate 3). This small scalerepeat pattern, printed on rayon, retailed at 16s9d a yard and was selected for the budget“People’s House” at the Ideal Home Exhibition in1952. Another pattern in a similar vein was SmallHours. Interestingly the painterly styles of thesetwo patterns were soon put to one side by thedesigner who took a more minimalist and graphicapproach towards developing new designs.

Lucienne Day soon started to develop anew series of modern and economical patternsusing her preferred media of a black pen.6 Theseinnovative patterns, which consisted of a lineardesign, were set against a one colouredbackground that not only had a huge visualimpact but also cut costs of production as moststandard patterns required between five to tendifferent colours for printing thus making itpossible to price her work competitively. Thisapproach not only gave the designer manypossibilities for colour variations that wouldappeal to a wider public but these simple lineardesigns typified her work from the early fifties(plate 4). For further inspiration she looked atthe cartoon drawings of American illustratorSaul Steinberg, which appealed to her. Patternssuch as Trio clearly show his influence both withregards to the application of line and the senseof humour, something that Lucienne Day used

13

2 The Allegro (5110) pattern,screen printed cotton, seen asthe follow up to thesuccessful Calyx pattern,Heals, 1952. Images © Victoriaand Albert Museum, London

3 An example of the Flotilla(5115) pattern, screen-printedon linen for export and linenlook rayon for the homemarket, 1952. The patternretailed at 31s 11d per yard.Courtesy of the WhitworthArt Gallery, Manchester3 Cheetham, D., DesignManagement: ChoosingDecorative Designs, Design,November 1964, p.57.4 Hughes-Stanton, C., A shopwith high standards, Design, July1965, p.47.5 Information from the LucienneDay Accounts book and Jackson,L., Robin and Lucienne Day;Pioneers of ContemporaryDesign, Mitchell Beaxzley, 12001,p. 78.6 Author in conversation withLucienne Day, May 1993.

“the entire doing of Tom Worthington, the most brilliant and dynamicimpresario/converter in the business. He has discovered and made more textiledesigners than anyone else, and although all his fabrics carry the designer name, eachcollection is a comprehensive, recognisable unit clearly stamped ‘created by TomWorthington.” 4

and even architecture, and am able to securewhat is likely to be accepted in the future inboth design and colours.” 3 The success of HealsFabrics was,

Although not officially contracted withHeals, Lucienne Day would submit between fourto six designs a year and was paid a fee for eachdesign, with an additional small fee for eachseparate 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 designcould be mass produced. One of the first patternsto be launched after the success of Calyx wasAllegro (5110) and according to the designer itwas the successor to Calyx. However, despitefeaturing with Calyx in Heals catalogues, thedesigner felt that the bands of colour on thepattern were too strong and therefore thepattern was unbalanced (plate 2). 5 Allegro wasfollowed by Flotilla in 1952, which represented anabstracted seascape and was, according to thedesigner, the nearest thing to a painting was shehad done in textiles (plate 3). This small scalerepeat pattern, printed on rayon, retailed at 16s9d a yard and was selected for the budget“People’s House” at the Ideal Home Exhibition in1952. Another pattern in a similar vein was SmallHours. Interestingly the painterly styles of thesetwo patterns were soon put to one side by thedesigner who took a more minimalist and graphicapproach towards developing new designs.

Lucienne Day soon started to develop anew series of modern and economical patternsusing her preferred media of a black pen.6 Theseinnovative patterns, which consisted of a lineardesign, were set against a one colouredbackground that not only had a huge visualimpact but also cut costs of production as moststandard patterns required between five to tendifferent colours for printing thus making itpossible to price her work competitively. Thisapproach not only gave the designer manypossibilities for colour variations that wouldappeal to a wider public but these simple lineardesigns typified her work from the early fifties(plate 4). For further inspiration she looked atthe cartoon drawings of American illustratorSaul Steinberg, which appealed to her. Patternssuch as Trio clearly show his influence both withregards to the application of line and the senseof humour, something that Lucienne Day used

13

2 The Allegro (5110) pattern,screen printed cotton, seen asthe follow up to thesuccessful Calyx pattern,Heals, 1952. Images © Victoriaand Albert Museum, London

3 An example of the Flotilla(5115) pattern, screen-printedon linen for export and linenlook rayon for the homemarket, 1952. The patternretailed at 31s 11d per yard.Courtesy of the WhitworthArt Gallery, Manchester3 Cheetham, D., DesignManagement: ChoosingDecorative Designs, Design,November 1964, p.57.4 Hughes-Stanton, C., A shopwith high standards, Design, July1965, p.47.5 Information from the LucienneDay Accounts book and Jackson,L., Robin and Lucienne Day;Pioneers of ContemporaryDesign, Mitchell Beaxzley, 12001,p. 78.6 Author in conversation withLucienne Day, May 1993.

“the entire doing of Tom Worthington, the most brilliant and dynamicimpresario/converter in the business. He has discovered and made more textiledesigners than anyone else, and although all his fabrics carry the designer name, eachcollection is a comprehensive, recognisable unit clearly stamped ‘created by TomWorthington.” 4

often throughout her career, especially indesigns such as Herb Antony and Spectators. Daynoted the motifs in the Trio pattern “it’s obviousto me that they are supposed to be flowers, theydon’t look much like flowers.” 7 Shecomplemented these graphic motifs by usingsimple coloured stripes for the background so asnot to confuse them with the drawing. (plate 5).Graphica, a personal favourite of the designer,was probably one of the most modernist designsof this period and a similar version was used fora wallpaper pattern for Rasch (plate 6). WhilstDay readily acknowledged the influence of thefamous artists such as Joan Miró and AlexanderCalder, she also made the important point that,“fashion influenced my work much more,because patterns of every kind were to someextent related to fashion.” 8

Heals advertised their products in severalcarefully selected magazines often with animage of a room setting including furniture,carpets and textiles to give the reader ideasabout the interior, and whilst they credited thefurniture designer, Lucienne Day was notmentioned. (plate 7). A few years later thecompany started to use full colour

advertisements promoting her latest collectionof textiles alongside other Heals designers. Partof her success during the fifties onwards wasdue, in part, to the fact that Heals hadestablished, over many years, an extensivenumber of quality retail shops that sold theirfabrics across Britain and by the late fifties wereexporting to over twenty five countries. Thesedepartment stores and selected shops werelocated in places such as York, Norwich,Aberdeen, Oxford and Kendal Milne inManchester which guaranteed that her latestdesigns would reach a much wider market thanher other later work in wallpaper, ceramics andcarpet design (plate 8). Her work was displayedalongside other Heals designers on thecompany’s stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition atOlympia in London. 9 At the same time, wellestablished department stores with reputationsfor modern furniture and textiles such asBowmans Ltd in London often featuredLucienne Day textiles in their ownadvertisements. 10 The sort of people thatbought Heals fabrics were chiefly middle classpeople with money to afford her textiles whichretailed during the early fifties at 10’ 9s a yard,though slightly more on a higher quality cloth.Her work was also exported to retailers acrossthe world. As her patterns continued to besuccessful Heals became rather concerned thatLucienne Day was still undertaking contractwork for several other clients including Libertyof London for whom she designed two patternsCoronation Rose in 1953 and Fritillary thefollowing year. As they were in directcompetition Heals asked her to work for themexclusively.

Her new designs set a standard in Britishtextile design as her work was so easilyidentifiable on the market for both itsmodernity and quality. With such anoutstanding artistic and commercial success itwasn’t long before her ground breakingpatterns were copied by other manufacturers. Inparticular, a copied version of Calyx was issued inAmerica but with a much smaller repeat thanthe original. In Britain another manufacturerand competitor to Heals was David WhiteheadLtd., who produced a very similar design to Calyxusing related graphic lines, shapes and mottledpatterning but in a different colour rangedesigned by Marian Mahler (plate 9).

David Whitehead Ltd., based inManchester, was set up in 1927, as an offshoot ofthe parent company Whitehead Group,established in 1815. Directly after the end of theSecond World War, the chairman CliffordWhittaker decided to take a bold step and move

4 A period image of LucienneDay textiles selected by thedesigner for her article Plainor Fancy in the Daily Mail IdealHome Book from 1957. Fromleft to right: Ticker Tape, Scriptin jade and flame, Linear incharcoal, Graphica in whiteand red and Perpendicular inblue/pink (bottom) andspruce/brown, 1953

5 The Trio pattern, roller-printed cotton, shows thedesigners use of her favouredblack pen to create stylisedlinear designs complementedby a background of colouredbands. Designed for Heals,1954. Collection H. Kirk IIIBrown and Jill A. Wiltse 7 An interview with LucienneDay on the Late Show, BBC 211th May 1993.8 Miller, R., All in a Day’s Work,p.59-60. V&A Archive of Art andDesign, Lucienne and Robin DayArchive (AAD/2011/9/347)9 It is not known how manytimes Heals exhibited at the IdealHome Exhibition at Olympia inLondon.10 An advertisement forBowmans Ltd illustrated in theDecorative Arts: The Studio YearBook 1955/1956, p.148.

often throughout her career, especially indesigns such as Herb Antony and Spectators. Daynoted the motifs in the Trio pattern “it’s obviousto me that they are supposed to be flowers, theydon’t look much like flowers.” 7 Shecomplemented these graphic motifs by usingsimple coloured stripes for the background so asnot to confuse them with the drawing. (plate 5).Graphica, a personal favourite of the designer,was probably one of the most modernist designsof this period and a similar version was used fora wallpaper pattern for Rasch (plate 6). WhilstDay readily acknowledged the influence of thefamous artists such as Joan Miró and AlexanderCalder, she also made the important point that,“fashion influenced my work much more,because patterns of every kind were to someextent related to fashion.” 8

Heals advertised their products in severalcarefully selected magazines often with animage of a room setting including furniture,carpets and textiles to give the reader ideasabout the interior, and whilst they credited thefurniture designer, Lucienne Day was notmentioned. (plate 7). A few years later thecompany started to use full colour

advertisements promoting her latest collectionof textiles alongside other Heals designers. Partof her success during the fifties onwards wasdue, in part, to the fact that Heals hadestablished, over many years, an extensivenumber of quality retail shops that sold theirfabrics across Britain and by the late fifties wereexporting to over twenty five countries. Thesedepartment stores and selected shops werelocated in places such as York, Norwich,Aberdeen, Oxford and Kendal Milne inManchester which guaranteed that her latestdesigns would reach a much wider market thanher other later work in wallpaper, ceramics andcarpet design (plate 8). Her work was displayedalongside other Heals designers on thecompany’s stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition atOlympia in London. 9 At the same time, wellestablished department stores with reputationsfor modern furniture and textiles such asBowmans Ltd in London often featuredLucienne Day textiles in their ownadvertisements. 10 The sort of people thatbought Heals fabrics were chiefly middle classpeople with money to afford her textiles whichretailed during the early fifties at 10’ 9s a yard,though slightly more on a higher quality cloth.Her work was also exported to retailers acrossthe world. As her patterns continued to besuccessful Heals became rather concerned thatLucienne Day was still undertaking contractwork for several other clients including Libertyof London for whom she designed two patternsCoronation Rose in 1953 and Fritillary thefollowing year. As they were in directcompetition Heals asked her to work for themexclusively.

Her new designs set a standard in Britishtextile design as her work was so easilyidentifiable on the market for both itsmodernity and quality. With such anoutstanding artistic and commercial success itwasn’t long before her ground breakingpatterns were copied by other manufacturers. Inparticular, a copied version of Calyx was issued inAmerica but with a much smaller repeat thanthe original. In Britain another manufacturerand competitor to Heals was David WhiteheadLtd., who produced a very similar design to Calyxusing related graphic lines, shapes and mottledpatterning but in a different colour rangedesigned by Marian Mahler (plate 9).

David Whitehead Ltd., based inManchester, was set up in 1927, as an offshoot ofthe parent company Whitehead Group,established in 1815. Directly after the end of theSecond World War, the chairman CliffordWhittaker decided to take a bold step and move

4 A period image of LucienneDay textiles selected by thedesigner for her article Plainor Fancy in the Daily Mail IdealHome Book from 1957. Fromleft to right: Ticker Tape, Scriptin jade and flame, Linear incharcoal, Graphica in whiteand red and Perpendicular inblue/pink (bottom) andspruce/brown, 1953

5 The Trio pattern, roller-printed cotton, shows thedesigners use of her favouredblack pen to create stylisedlinear designs complementedby a background of colouredbands. Designed for Heals,1954. Collection H. Kirk IIIBrown and Jill A. Wiltse 7 An interview with LucienneDay on the Late Show, BBC 211th May 1993.8 Miller, R., All in a Day’s Work,p.59-60. V&A Archive of Art andDesign, Lucienne and Robin DayArchive (AAD/2011/9/347)9 It is not known how manytimes Heals exhibited at the IdealHome Exhibition at Olympia inLondon.10 An advertisement forBowmans Ltd illustrated in theDecorative Arts: The Studio YearBook 1955/1956, p.148.

17

into the production of modern textiles andappointed John Murray as Director of Furnishings,in 1948, even though he had no training in thetextiles industry.11 They wanted to promote gooddesign which was affordable to those people insmaller homes which they achieved by investing inadvanced machinery, cheaper cloth and usingcontemporary patterns by designers such asMarian Mahler, Roger Nicholson, JacquelineGroag and Terence Conran (plate 10). Thecompany must have been extremely focused ondeveloping new patterns as twenty examples ofDavid Whitehead textiles were accepted andshown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. RichardChamberlain commented they,

This successful venture into contemporarytextiles brought David Whitehead Ltd into directcompetition with department stores such asHeals as they were able to price their fabricscompetitively at about 9s 11d a yard which wasless expensive than examples designed byLucienne Day priced at about 11s 9d a yard forher Magnetic pattern on cotton whilst herMezzanine pattern, printed on viscose satinretailed at 27s 9d. Her later Plantation patternretailed at £1 1s 9d on cotton and on satin £1 4s9d. Whilst Lucienne Day often expressed herreservations about unskilled textile designs

“ used the Festival of Britain as a spring board to launch their first major collection ofContemporary designs and quickly established themselves as market leaders.” 12

6 The Graphica pattern wasone of the designers’ mostminimalist designs relying ondirectional lines withoutdecoration or abstract motifs.It was also one of herfavourite patterns andshowed the influence ofSteinberg, designed for Heals,1953.

7 A Heals advertisementpromoting the latestproduction to be shown atthe Ideal Home Exhibition atOlympia, London. The diningchair was designed by A.J.Milne, in beech alongsidecurtains printed with theScript pattern by LucienneDay, 1956

8 A Heals advertisementfeaturing the latest LucienneDay patterns: Linear, FlowerShow, Trio, Springboard andChequers, alongside a list ofall stockists demonstratingthat her textiles were soldacross the country rather thanjust London and the suburbs,195411 Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd:Artist Designed Textiles 1952-1969, Oldham Leisure Services,1993.12 Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., andChamberlain, R., (editors),Austerity to Affluence, BritishArt and Design 1945-1962,Merrell Holberton, 1997, p.36.

17

into the production of modern textiles andappointed John Murray as Director of Furnishings,in 1948, even though he had no training in thetextiles industry.11 They wanted to promote gooddesign which was affordable to those people insmaller homes which they achieved by investing inadvanced machinery, cheaper cloth and usingcontemporary patterns by designers such asMarian Mahler, Roger Nicholson, JacquelineGroag and Terence Conran (plate 10). Thecompany must have been extremely focused ondeveloping new patterns as twenty examples ofDavid Whitehead textiles were accepted andshown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. RichardChamberlain commented they,

This successful venture into contemporarytextiles brought David Whitehead Ltd into directcompetition with department stores such asHeals as they were able to price their fabricscompetitively at about 9s 11d a yard which wasless expensive than examples designed byLucienne Day priced at about 11s 9d a yard forher Magnetic pattern on cotton whilst herMezzanine pattern, printed on viscose satinretailed at 27s 9d. Her later Plantation patternretailed at £1 1s 9d on cotton and on satin £1 4s9d. Whilst Lucienne Day often expressed herreservations about unskilled textile designs

“ used the Festival of Britain as a spring board to launch their first major collection ofContemporary designs and quickly established themselves as market leaders.” 12

6 The Graphica pattern wasone of the designers’ mostminimalist designs relying ondirectional lines withoutdecoration or abstract motifs.It was also one of herfavourite patterns andshowed the influence ofSteinberg, designed for Heals,1953.

7 A Heals advertisementpromoting the latestproduction to be shown atthe Ideal Home Exhibition atOlympia, London. The diningchair was designed by A.J.Milne, in beech alongsidecurtains printed with theScript pattern by LucienneDay, 1956

8 A Heals advertisementfeaturing the latest LucienneDay patterns: Linear, FlowerShow, Trio, Springboard andChequers, alongside a list ofall stockists demonstratingthat her textiles were soldacross the country rather thanjust London and the suburbs,195411 Peat, A., David Whitehead Ltd:Artist Designed Textiles 1952-1969, Oldham Leisure Services,1993.12 Rayner, G., Stapleton, A., andChamberlain, R., (editors),Austerity to Affluence, BritishArt and Design 1945-1962,Merrell Holberton, 1997, p.36.

coming onto the market she made it clear thatthis did not refer to David Whitehead Ltd.,stating that they, “broke with tradition and gavethe mass market gay, colourful and imaginativedesigns. Whitehead became synonymous with thecontemporary print, banishing forever the era ofmuddy floral and ‘folksy’ print patterns!” 13

Lucienne Day’s work was often promotedby her husband Robin when he used her latesttextiles for the many exhibition stands and roomsettings that he designed for British trade fairsand importantly for the international market. In1952 Robin Day and Milner Gray organised atravelling exhibition in Norway for theLandsforeningen Norsk Brukskunt in Norway,which featured three hundred exhibits includingDays fabrics: Calyx, Acres, Fall and Allegro. 14 Theexhibition visited Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. In1954 Robin Day was asked to create a roomsetting for the tenth Milan Trienalle. Besidesusing examples of his own furniture andceramics by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie he selectedexamples of his wife’s textiles: Ticker Tape,Spectators, Linear and Graphica. Such was therecognition for her progressive designs she wasawarded the very highest honour at the event.In an article for The Ambassador Misha Black, aprominent designer, commented that, “floralprints may, for the moment, enjoy specialpopularity but that non-representationaldesigns earn their own just recognition wasevident at the 10th Trienalle in Milan, whereLucienne Day was awarded the highest prize-theGran Premio.” 15 The famous Swedish textiledesigner, Astrid Sampe, also won an award forher abstract Windy Way pattern.

Lucienne Day’s textiles were also featuredin other room settings at trade exhibitions andfor publicity photographs (plate 11). Theseperiod images promoted the latest designs suchas Rig, Travelogue and Isoceles (plate 12).Probably the most well known pattern afterCalyx must be Herb Antony, launched in 1956, askilfully designed pattern clearly influenced bythe artist Joan Miró with wiry figures and smallodd shapes of bold colours similar to his mobiles(plate 13). The designer carefully selected achoice of red, yellow, purple, green or blackbackgrounds which, depending on thebackground colour, dramatically changed thelook of the pattern (plate 14). According to thedesigner the pattern was named after AntonyHeal as a thank-you to him.16 The design wassoon followed by Spectators, said to have beeninspired by the sculptures of Alberto Giacomettibut the design was rather softened by theaddition of humorous faces, some wearingglasses.

During the fifties the use of plasticlaminates increased as they were so popularwith the housewife in her new kitchen. Thefurniture manufacturer Kandya Ltd used plasticlaminates on some of their furniture includingsome patterns by Lucienne Day. Kandya,established in the 1920’s, became well known fortheir high quality modular units designed to fitnew smaller homes. In addition they addedchairs, tables and stools, mainly designed byFrank Guille, appointed as consultant designer in1953.17These examples of furniture oftenincorporated plastic laminates both plain andpatterned supplied by Warerite, a leadingspecialist who had started to develop decorativelaminates during the thirties, alongside othermanufacturers. With technological advances inthe fifties the quality of laminates improvedleaving the task of surface patterns to bediscussed. In an article about plastic laminatesPaul Reilly noted that, “with such possibilitiesthe run-of-the–mill production could not foreverremain tied to timid pastels and discreet over allpatterns. The cycle of taste, moreover, would belikely to veer away from monotony towardssomething bolder and more interesting. Whatwas happening to wallpapers and textiles andcarpets would probably overtake these newmaterials too.” 18 Another article in Designwarned that plastic laminates should be,“readily distinguishable from wallpapers orprinted textiles.” 19

Warerite, a company owned by BakeliteLtd., were a progressive company and appointedJohn Murray as design consultant in 1957. Thecompany had their own Design Studio, managedby J.M.Thompson, to develop new patterns forstock production as well as contracting designersto design for them including Humphrey Spenderand Jacqueline Groag who designed patternssuch as Manhattan and Metropolis. Paul Reillyadded that, “We have recently seen moderntextile patterns slapped on plates in the name ofcontemporary design; and if on plates why notlaminates which are at least flat squaredsurfaces.” 20 At some stage patterns for textilesby Lucienne Day were used by Kandya on theirfurniture which included her Linear patternapplied to the surface of a sideboard.21 Healsused the Ducatoon pattern for a plasticlaminate.22 It is also not known whether thedesigner provided further patterns for Wareriteor even specially created laminate designs forthem. During the late fifties, or possibly earlysixties, representatives from De La Rue PlasticsLtd, who had drawn up a license with FormicaLtd, an American company in 1947, approachedLucienne Day about developing designs for

19

9 An example of a textilepattern designed by MarianMahler, showing a directinfluence of Lucienne DaysʼCalyx pattern issued a fewyears earlier. Produced byDavid Whitehead Ltd., 1953.Collection H. Kirk III Brownand Jill A. Wiltse

10 An abstract pattern byJacqueline Groag, one of themost interesting and versatiledesigners working during thefifties and sixties. Designedfor David Whitehead Ltd.,1952. Collection H. Kirk IIIBrown and Jill A. Wiltse 13 Quote by Lucienne Day takenfrom: Peat, A., David WhiteheadLtd: Artist Designed Textiles1952-1969, Oldham LeisureServices, 1993.14 British ContemporaryDesigners, Design, July 1952,p.1415 Black, M., PerceptiveConsistency, The Ambassador,August 1955.16 Lucienne Day in conversationwith the author, May 1993.17 Examples of Kandya furnitureare illustrated in: Rayner, G.,Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain,R., (editors), Austerity toAffluence, British Art and Design1945-1962, Merrell Holberton,1997. p.33-34.18 Reilly, P., A decorative futurefor Plastic Laminates, Design,December 1954, p. 9-13.19 Patterns with Possibilities,Design, April 1957, p. 36.20 Reilly, P., A decorative futurefor Plastic Laminates, Design,December 1954, p.12.21 This is illustrated in Jackson, L,The New Look: Design in theFifties, Thames and Hudson,1991, p.80. 22 Information from Jackson, L.,Robin and Lucienne Day:Pioneers of ContemporaryDesign, Mitchell Beazley, 2001,p. 183.

coming onto the market she made it clear thatthis did not refer to David Whitehead Ltd.,stating that they, “broke with tradition and gavethe mass market gay, colourful and imaginativedesigns. Whitehead became synonymous with thecontemporary print, banishing forever the era ofmuddy floral and ‘folksy’ print patterns!” 13

Lucienne Day’s work was often promotedby her husband Robin when he used her latesttextiles for the many exhibition stands and roomsettings that he designed for British trade fairsand importantly for the international market. In1952 Robin Day and Milner Gray organised atravelling exhibition in Norway for theLandsforeningen Norsk Brukskunt in Norway,which featured three hundred exhibits includingDays fabrics: Calyx, Acres, Fall and Allegro. 14 Theexhibition visited Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. In1954 Robin Day was asked to create a roomsetting for the tenth Milan Trienalle. Besidesusing examples of his own furniture andceramics by Hans Coper and Lucie Rie he selectedexamples of his wife’s textiles: Ticker Tape,Spectators, Linear and Graphica. Such was therecognition for her progressive designs she wasawarded the very highest honour at the event.In an article for The Ambassador Misha Black, aprominent designer, commented that, “floralprints may, for the moment, enjoy specialpopularity but that non-representationaldesigns earn their own just recognition wasevident at the 10th Trienalle in Milan, whereLucienne Day was awarded the highest prize-theGran Premio.” 15 The famous Swedish textiledesigner, Astrid Sampe, also won an award forher abstract Windy Way pattern.

Lucienne Day’s textiles were also featuredin other room settings at trade exhibitions andfor publicity photographs (plate 11). Theseperiod images promoted the latest designs suchas Rig, Travelogue and Isoceles (plate 12).Probably the most well known pattern afterCalyx must be Herb Antony, launched in 1956, askilfully designed pattern clearly influenced bythe artist Joan Miró with wiry figures and smallodd shapes of bold colours similar to his mobiles(plate 13). The designer carefully selected achoice of red, yellow, purple, green or blackbackgrounds which, depending on thebackground colour, dramatically changed thelook of the pattern (plate 14). According to thedesigner the pattern was named after AntonyHeal as a thank-you to him.16 The design wassoon followed by Spectators, said to have beeninspired by the sculptures of Alberto Giacomettibut the design was rather softened by theaddition of humorous faces, some wearingglasses.

During the fifties the use of plasticlaminates increased as they were so popularwith the housewife in her new kitchen. Thefurniture manufacturer Kandya Ltd used plasticlaminates on some of their furniture includingsome patterns by Lucienne Day. Kandya,established in the 1920’s, became well known fortheir high quality modular units designed to fitnew smaller homes. In addition they addedchairs, tables and stools, mainly designed byFrank Guille, appointed as consultant designer in1953.17These examples of furniture oftenincorporated plastic laminates both plain andpatterned supplied by Warerite, a leadingspecialist who had started to develop decorativelaminates during the thirties, alongside othermanufacturers. With technological advances inthe fifties the quality of laminates improvedleaving the task of surface patterns to bediscussed. In an article about plastic laminatesPaul Reilly noted that, “with such possibilitiesthe run-of-the–mill production could not foreverremain tied to timid pastels and discreet over allpatterns. The cycle of taste, moreover, would belikely to veer away from monotony towardssomething bolder and more interesting. Whatwas happening to wallpapers and textiles andcarpets would probably overtake these newmaterials too.” 18 Another article in Designwarned that plastic laminates should be,“readily distinguishable from wallpapers orprinted textiles.” 19

Warerite, a company owned by BakeliteLtd., were a progressive company and appointedJohn Murray as design consultant in 1957. Thecompany had their own Design Studio, managedby J.M.Thompson, to develop new patterns forstock production as well as contracting designersto design for them including Humphrey Spenderand Jacqueline Groag who designed patternssuch as Manhattan and Metropolis. Paul Reillyadded that, “We have recently seen moderntextile patterns slapped on plates in the name ofcontemporary design; and if on plates why notlaminates which are at least flat squaredsurfaces.” 20 At some stage patterns for textilesby Lucienne Day were used by Kandya on theirfurniture which included her Linear patternapplied to the surface of a sideboard.21 Healsused the Ducatoon pattern for a plasticlaminate.22 It is also not known whether thedesigner provided further patterns for Wareriteor even specially created laminate designs forthem. During the late fifties, or possibly earlysixties, representatives from De La Rue PlasticsLtd, who had drawn up a license with FormicaLtd, an American company in 1947, approachedLucienne Day about developing designs for

19

9 An example of a textilepattern designed by MarianMahler, showing a directinfluence of Lucienne DaysʼCalyx pattern issued a fewyears earlier. Produced byDavid Whitehead Ltd., 1953.Collection H. Kirk III Brownand Jill A. Wiltse

10 An abstract pattern byJacqueline Groag, one of themost interesting and versatiledesigners working during thefifties and sixties. Designedfor David Whitehead Ltd.,1952. Collection H. Kirk IIIBrown and Jill A. Wiltse 13 Quote by Lucienne Day takenfrom: Peat, A., David WhiteheadLtd: Artist Designed Textiles1952-1969, Oldham LeisureServices, 1993.14 British ContemporaryDesigners, Design, July 1952,p.1415 Black, M., PerceptiveConsistency, The Ambassador,August 1955.16 Lucienne Day in conversationwith the author, May 1993.17 Examples of Kandya furnitureare illustrated in: Rayner, G.,Stapleton, A., and Chamberlain,R., (editors), Austerity toAffluence, British Art and Design1945-1962, Merrell Holberton,1997. p.33-34.18 Reilly, P., A decorative futurefor Plastic Laminates, Design,December 1954, p. 9-13.19 Patterns with Possibilities,Design, April 1957, p. 36.20 Reilly, P., A decorative futurefor Plastic Laminates, Design,December 1954, p.12.21 This is illustrated in Jackson, L,The New Look: Design in theFifties, Thames and Hudson,1991, p.80. 22 Information from Jackson, L.,Robin and Lucienne Day:Pioneers of ContemporaryDesign, Mitchell Beazley, 2001,p. 183.