The subject of the Margaret Howell calendar 2019 is Design Folios from The Council of Industrial Design, selected from The University of Brighton Design Archives.
An accompanying exhibition of approximately 30 prints also chosen by Margaret will be held at 34 Wigmore Street, W1 from Saturday 13 October – Sunday 4 November 2018.
The Council of Industrial Design was founded in 1944 (later known as the Design Council) with design education for Britain at the top of the Council’s agenda. They offered a comprehensive programme of specialist courses for designers, along with design appreciation seminars for educators, manufacturers and retailers.
In 1948, the first Design Folios appeared amid the surge of educational initiatives set out by The Council of Industrial Design. The Folios were available by subscription, providing a steady flow of design information to schools and colleges throughout the country. The Folios promoted many examples of new design from dinner-trays to dinghies, Ercol furniture and sporting equipment.
'Once, on a research trip for vintage items, I came across an unexpected find – a collection of the Council’s posters. These evocative images are from another era but their message is clear and modern in outlook. They recall a time when a devastated post-war Britain had to be rebuilt and it was thought important enough to promote the public awareness of design for its own sake.’
- MARGARET HOWELL
The University of Brighton Design Archives houses a collection of photographs, posters and publications reflecting many aspects of social and cultural change throughout the twentieth century.
Profits from the sale of the calendar will be donated to Open-City.