Tag: 1950s

Designer Desire: Althea McNish

Collage of Althea McNish textile designs | H is for Home(from top, left to right: Painted Dessert in 2 colourways, Tomee, Van Gogh in 2 colourways, Rubra in 2 colourways, Golden Harvesamazot in 2 colourways, Tropique, Pomegranate, Gilia, Bousada, Tepeaca, Unknown, Hibiscus, Trinidad, Magi, Caribe, Oriana)

Shame on me! I have only recently been introduced to the work of Althea McNish by Liz Evans of Retro Pattern. I really should know of McNish, she originally came from Trinidad.

Althea McNish (1933-2020) began designing fashion and furnishing textiles in the 1950s. She designed 8 patterns for Hull Traders, a manufacturer who were based not far from us, just over the border in Colne, Lancashire – Golden Harvest, Painted Desert, Van Gogh (all 1959), Oriana, Pomegranate (both 1960), Gilia, Rubra (both 1961) and Magi (1964). At this firm, she worked alongside the likes of Shirley Craven, John Drummond, Ivon Hitchens and Eduardo Paolozzi.

She was also commissioned to produce designs for the likes of:

  • Liberty & Co – Bousada, Cebollas, Hibiscus (all 1958), Grenada, Tepeaca (1960)
  • Heal’s – Caribe
  • Ascher Ltd – Tropique (1957)
  • Cavendish Textiles – Lumière (1961)
  • Dior
  • Balenciaga

In 1959, she designed two murals entitled Pineapples and Pomegranates and Rayflower for the tourist class restaurant aboard the P&O Orient cruise liner, Oriana. She also produced a mural in the 1980s for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Nordic Empress and MS Monarch.

A number of museums hold her designs in their permanent collections including the V&A, National Museums Scotland, Cooper Hewitt and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

There’s a lovely documentary entitled, Whoever Heard of a Black Artist? Britain’s Hidden Art History currently on the BBC iPlayer (there’s just over a week left to view it!) in which she’s been interviewed. I can’t recommend it highly enough! McNish is one of 21 designers profiled in Libby Sellers’ new book, Women Design.

Examples of her designs come up for sale from time to time. Your first port of call should be Retro Pattern; contact them via their Instragram account. In addition, have a search on Etsy.

Portrait of Althea McNish from The Ideal Home Exhibition, 1966credit

I have always seen myself as a citizen of the world, drawing inspiration from the flora and fauna of every country and the art and artefacts of all cultures.

Portrait of Althea McNish from 2011 RCA Black exhibition - © Juliette Goddardcredit

Additional image credits:

Architectural Digest | Maharam | Maison Disorder |  | Pinterest | Repeating Islands | Revealing Histories

Designer Desire: Stanley Stubenberg

Mosaic of Stanley Stubeanberg graphic designs | H is for Home

Stanley Stubenberg (1925-2001) was a graphic designer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He designed scores of restaurant, bar and room service menus and table cards. Venues such as the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel’s Ale Ale Kai Restaurant, the Luau Hut and the Pupu Bar; the Tahitian Lanai and the Papeete Bar at the Waikikian Hotel and Beneath the Reef and the Torch Room at the Reef Hotel.

As well as menu design, he produced the odd woodblock print artwork (see above) and a mural at the the Lounge at the Buccaneer.

Menus, by their very nature, are ephemeral items; therefore, not a huge number have survived the past 50-plus years. The few that have can command prices up to £150. There are currently a couple for sale on eBay. There are however, modern prints available from Love Menu Art and Monterey Bay Photo Lab.

He illustrated Young Folk’s Hawaiian Time: A Collection of True Hawaiian Children’s Stories, and Hawaiian Time both written by Genie Pitchford. Some of his designs are included in Sven Kirsten’s book, Tiki Modern, (including pride of place on the cover!) and Menu Design In America which we reviewed here.

Stubenberg died at the age of 74 in St Croix, Virgin Islands where he’d spent his latter years.

Portrait of Stanley Stubenbergcredit

Additional image credits:

Pinterest | Worthpoint

Designer Desire: John and Sylvia Reid

Mosaic of John and Sylvia Reid designs | H is for Home

This week, we feature a British, mid-century modern design duo – John and Sylvia Reid. Architects/designers who produced furniture for Stag Furniture and lighting for Rotaflex. They’ve also been involved in designs for the Boys Club, Stamford Hill, Hackney; Piazza Coffee Bar, Marylebone High Street, London and the Wheatsheaf Pub, Cumberland Road, Camberley.

The couple’s son, Dominic Reid, is reproducing some of the designs from their archive. He’s collaborated with Nicholas Radford, the Managing Director of Nathan Furniture (which is produced here in little old Todmorden!) and son of the original manufacturer. They’re reissuing a capsule collection from the S-Range which initially launched in 1960 and ended production a mere 3 years later.

The collection will be launched at Clerkenwell Design Week next month (22-24 May 2018). Said Radford:

Dominic and I are very excited about the re-issue of the S-Range, as it represents not only one of the very best examples of British mid-century design, but has a great collaborative heritage behind it which we are both very proud to be a part of. We hope the design community attending Clerkenwell will love what we have to show them.”

Portrait of John and Sylvia Reidcredit

Additional image credits:

1st Dibs | Artnet | Artsy | Pinterest

Designer Desire: George Cook

Mosaic of George Cook pottery items for Ambleside Pottery

Earlier this week, we wrote about a piece of Ambleside pottery we bought. Today we’re going to show you a few more examples of work by its maker, George Cook. Cook was the founder and main designer-maker of Ambleside Pottery based in the southern Lake District, Cumbria. He ran the pottery from 1948 until he retired in 1968, when he sold the premises to Brian Jackson. Between 1959 & 1966, he trained Gordon Fox who currently owns & runs Kentmere Pottery.

George Cook pieces regularly come up for sale at auctions across the UK and occasionally appear on eBay. They’re very reasonably priced… for the time being!

The 1954 Rydal Women’s Institute programme reveals how the group held their April meeting at George Cook’s studio. A pottery demonstration formed part of the event. The studio was located in North Road, in an abandoned corn mill (see bottom photo taken in April 1886) by Stock Ghyll, Ambleside. The pottery remained in existence until the 1980s. At present, it operates as the Giggling Goose Café. Apparently, examples of the pottery can still be found on the roof above the kitchen window.

George Cook, founder of Ambleside Potterycredit

Stock Ghyll Mill, North Road, Amblesidecredit

Additional image credits: Worthpoint