The glass section was very alluring, particularly the plain vases and basins, very pale yellow or pale green, of the Whitefriars Ca, who have been making glass for 250 years. Among the china one notes a revival of those dainty little bouquets and baskets of gainly painted china flowers, such as were popular in the days of Beau Nash.
Silver also shows a strong tendency back towards Georgian designs, which in fact, like Georgian houses, have never been excelled. But silver with a satin finish, called I think "moon beam" or "moon rays," is shown this year and has great possibilities.
The man in charge of this exhibit once spent two months in Shanghai and reminded me of a burglary at a well-known jeweller's in Nanking Road, when the thieves had rented the floor above the shop and calmly cut through the ceiling. He wandered gloomily whether Shanghai would ever be buying anything more. But I bade him be of good cheer.
The toy department attracts a big crowd. It is unnecessary rose to remind you how British toy-makers berlain's umbrella is everywhere and one exhibitor who had a large stock of light-shades made to resemble this celebrated implement, sold the whole lot to a Frenchman before the Fair had been open two hours.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.