Surveying the exhibition as a whole, one is struck with the fact that designers are steadily becoming ess arid, more gracious in their designs. Furniture is not so harshly rectangular, and its coverings show Tess of those mauve-green-cinnamon zigzags that we were told to admi afew years ago. Glassware, an dinner services are particularly beautiful, of simple wounded shapes and lovely colouring. The best, glass now is almost entirely without cut pate terns on it, the object being to concentrate on the beauty of the mate-vial.
'One very attractive section is the ironware, suggesting a revival of old village Industries. Besides wrought iron gates and railings, there is even bedroom furniture of iron, and iron picture frames, which against a plain wall and with' the right type of pieture should be quite pleasing. This by the way is rather a reversion to old times, when ebony frames were much prized, a wood one hardly over sees now, 'Another sign of returning sanity is! the sedate and cithodox appearance of the clocks—humble or haughty servants of the household which have suffered dreadfully at the modernists' hands, Jewellery, a magnificent display—it is said that the Birmingham Sewollers' Association is showing *£1,000,000 worth of itis becoming distinctly Victorian, with heavy fat necklaces and bractlets and pendants to match.
The optical section always fascinates me, though many of the scientific instruments shown are boyerd a layman's comprehension. But there are rows of microscopes with enchanting for terrifying slides in place for your inspection (a fly's leg, for example, seen under a microscope Is a fear-seme-looking limb) and' most, on-viable cameras: Questions have been asked lately why British manufactur. ers have allowed themselves to be out-distanced by foreigners in the making of "miniature" cameras, But assuredly in larger sizes British makes are unbeatable. It is the same with lenses, 3,000 Pictures per Second this section there is a cine camera through which the film runs at the rate of 120 miles an hour—3,000 "pictures a second. The King, being at the Fair to-day wanted through.
His Majesty merely waved his hand saying Another time, another time."
Some of the novelties—real ones, not just Coronstion—are startlingly ingenious. There is a dinghy which holds three people while only drawing four inches of water; a combination turnstile und slot machine which Jets you in. and hands you your change; a device by which a typist can fit'a double ribbon to her ma+ chine and make two copies of a letter without a carbon; and, offspring of disastrous days at recent race-meetings, a cellophane Ascot frock which deter the heaviest thunder Shower:
"There is also an Ascot petre hat witha: brim a¢t- in diameter which, Te'the wind is igh, can be taken off altogether leaving' small close Alttng hat "trimmed with oseich feathers.
The textiles, which are at the White Gity in Shepherd's Bush, are Undoubtedly the most distinguished fection of all the Pole. iter, Lane shire and" Yorkehire, the one with cottons and rayons, me other. with Sinappronchable woollen, are. deter mined to "show the world" og they Well may. tis 200d alan that 20 Tmany move Lancasire frm ate ex. Hiblling this Sear than the doagn OF 5 big houses which are abwiv pres ent. Bxaet. description is" beyond {ie mere man, but there are windows he, "easendes of varying colour, traded from moonlight tints to the chest riner of the sunset which are hoor delight (0 the eye. There. Also a wonderful display of gorgeous designs, specially calculated to. ape Deal to Oriental and Afviean tastes, Eoneashire indeed i. very far from benton yet us event. trade" ngures, agreeably prove
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.