6 APRIL 1929, Page 27

Art in England owes much to the local societies, large

and small, that provide comradeship and encouragement for the lonely painter or sculptor. One of the more important of these has celebrated its centenary by producing its record, The History of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, by Joseph Hill and William Midgley, with reminiscences by Edward S. Harper (Birmingham : Cornish, 12s. 6d.). It is a handsome quarto with 151 good reproductions of works by the members, from 1827 onwards. Its best-known members were David Cox and George Mason, whose exquisite charm is still perhaps to be fully recognized. More recently irmingbam men have done much in decorative art to add ction to the Society and the city.