17 FEBRUARY 1923, Page 26

MATERIAL REVIEW.

DECORATED BOXES.

OF the five decorated tin boxes submitted for our criticism by Messrs. Hudson and. Scott of Carlisle, two are passable in colour and design, one is spoilt by a bad display of lettering, one is an interesting and successful experiment in a quasi- Persian manner, whilst one—an arrangement in black, white and blue, with a conventionalized flower-piece on a black ground—is admirable and in a class by itself. As, with the exception of the least distinguished of the boxes, we are not aware what commodities they are to contain, we are unable to tell our readers where they will encounter them. Messrs. Hudson are however, also responsible for a variety of trade labels and wrappers that show a great improvement upon the ordinary trade " display pzintmg " that we are accus- tomed to—so accustomed to that we have mercifully become almost blind to it. Such comfortable oblivion, however, is obviously not what the advertiser seeks to produce in the public, and some of Messrs. Hudson's show-sheets are well calculated not only to arrest attention, but also to give con- siderable pleasure to the eye.

For Messrs. Jacobs's " Animal Biscuits " a powerful design in black, blue and yellow has been adopted, whilst for their " Variety Biscuits" a charming spangle of bright-coloured geometrical figures on a powder-blue ground is delightful, save for the lettering, which is entirely banal and quite out of harmony with the sophisticated gaiety of its setting. The same criticism—that of poor,. heavy-handed lettering—applies to practically all the wrappers submitted, which, seeing that a good type is so easily achieved, is a failure not to be con, doned.

An exception is the attractive- yellow label for " Mermaid Old-Fashioned Humbugs," with flowery corners, but even here the type degenerates into the sort that we associate with " Exit," No Smoking " and " Pull " when it comes to the proprietor's name and address.

Messrs. Needler appear to have a conservative taste in wrappers, and they no doubt know their public. 'There is however, no artistic interest in their selection.

For their " Family Assorted " biscuits Messrs. Carr have a dead black cover enlivened with a brilliantly coloured bird and tree design reminiscent of a Chinese wallpaper, and indeed one might very well do worse than adapt some of the admirable old wallpaper motifs in combination with well designed printing on an inserted label.

The poster for Messrs. Jacobs's biscuits is a most lively and pleasant achievement in the modern manner that will cer- tainly attract the attention which it is its business to. court.

C. W.-E.