NEW ENGLISH STAMPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 29, 18 February 1937, Page 12

NEW ENGLISH STAMPS

(By Air Mail— Own Coi'resbondentl.

i Replacing Edward Issues j - - ,■ PROFESSOR'S CRITICISM

LONDON, Jan.i 10. "There is a dreadful ru'mojir that they are going to take out Edward 's head on the English stamps and merely substitute that of King George VI," said Professor W. G. Constable, director Of the Courtauld Institute of Art, London University, speaking at the annual dinner in London of the Design and Industries Association. ' ' Can we do no thing about it?5' he continued. "Is there uobody who can influence tlie Postmaster'Genefal in this mattfit?" The Blng Edward stamp, he bafid, when examined Under a glass, Was crude. "I have no objection to phbto graphic design, but no Cngrayer of the last century would describe our iiew stamps as anythmg but crude," said Professor Constable. Speaking of the new coins, he said: "We have always sufGered from the passion of taking sculpturo on a large scale, and then by machine bringing it down to a small scale, and the eft'eet le> a butter *pat design. These things are done over our heads by people who are ignorant. ' ' Referring to the Coronation, Professor Constable asked why no action was being takeii to make the deeorations worthy of the oceasion. "Cannot we go back to 1635 and realise that When the Infante Ferdinand made his triumpha'nt entry into AntWerp all the decoratiotis were carried out by Eubens?" he asked. ' ' Why cannot we take a pattem from that afid try and make the decoratiohs for the Coronation something Worthy of this great city? As it ii, iall I hear fills me with dismay. All these stream-

ers, flags and bunting seem to me to be the most disnial things one could have.5' He appealed, too, for a diversity of designs in the plaques for King George V. memorial parks. "I am told there is a design for these plaques which is literally of the but'ter-pat order. Why cannot general designs be communicated to the loc&l authorities and their designers giveU an -opportunity to produce Something apprbpriate to the , seighbourhood 1 ' ' \