THE TRADE VALUE OF GOOD DESIGN.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sin—We have read with interest Mr. Martin Hardie's letter, together with your remarks. We are proud of the quality of our chocolates, believing them to be the best that can be produced, and very naturally desire to pack them in boxes of which we can be equally proud. While willing to be guided by those who are in the position to do so in matters of art, we must choose designs which are likely to be saleable, as we are chocolate manufacturers before anything else.
Mr. Martin Hardie refers to the conventional "Bathing Girl" type of decoration. We know the box he is referring to, but it may surprise him to learn that our attempt to take it off the market failed, simply because so many of the public demanded it. If, however, people crave for what the artists may call "The Flesh Pots of Egypt," it is not exactly our province to force them to eat "The Milk and Honey of Canaan."
Mr. Clough Williams-Ellis, in his review, makes a kindly reference to our box named "The Royal." While this box has proved a success, it has also been described by many as an atrocity. We ourselves are very enthusiastic about it, but we have others to consider beside ourselves. It must be borne in mind that, before a chocolate manufacturer puts a box on the market, he has to commit himself to a considerable outlay, and he would be foolish if he did not consider "what the public wants." There is a growing number who appreciate art, but we have to cater for the majority, and we do not think even Mr. Hardie would claim that the majority recognize what he would consider as art, when they see it.—We are,
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