12 FEBRUARY 1954, Page 7

T he Tate Gallery, according to a correspondent, is not the

ne,tuY institution of its kind where odd things sometimes happen. aoine months ago he went to see an important show of Constables at the Victoria and Albert. He found that about 411:11e-eighth of the pictures on exhibition were inaccessible to beei public, the corner of the main gallery in which they hung ng roped off. This space was occupied by a photographer, Ills assistant three young ladies and a number of shoe-boxes. The Young ladies put on the shoes in relays and the photo- grapher photographed their feet. This ritual was still in full Swing when, after half an hour, my correspondent left the gallery. On his way out he asked an attendant if this sort of thing often happened. "Fairly often," said the attendant. It's the tessellated floor they like. It makes a pretty back- rund." My correspondent adds that one of the young ladies Was extraordinarly pretty too, but that this was only a small c2nsolation for missing some of the pictures which he had wade a Special journey to London to see.