Author: ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBITION SOCIETY
Title: Catalogue of the First Exhibition.
Description: The New Gallery, 1888. Small 8vo. pp. 180. Original wrappers, designed by Walter Crane, spine and part of front wrapper with restoration. The first exhibition catalogue for one of the most influential movements of the late Victorian age. Its first president, Walter Crane wrote "We desired first of all to give opportunity to the designer and craftsman to exhibit their work to the public for its artistic interest and thus to assert the claims of decorative art and handicraft to attention equally with the painter of easel pictures, hitherto almost exclusively associated with the term art in the public mind. Ignoring the artificial distinction between Fine and Decorative art, we felt that the real distinction was what we conceived to be between good and bad art, or false and true taste and methods in handicraft, considering it of little value to endeavour to classify art according to its commercial value or social importance, while everything depended upon the spirit as well as the skill and fidelity with which the conception was expressed, in whatever material, seeing that a worker earned the title of artist by the sympathy with and treatment of his material, by due recognition of its capacity, and its natural limitations, as well as of the relation of the work to use and life." Rare, we have been able to trace only a single copy offered at auction within the last 50 years. This copy, marked "Under Revision" on the upper wrapper and half title, appears to be an early or proof edition, prior to its general release. The pagination differing from copies digitalised on-line. The same number of exhibits are included, but the list of guarantors differs, and this lacks the detailed index included with the final version.

Keywords: Art and Illustration


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