Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ... ART AND INDUSTRY. L.F.D. You are against division of labour, are you not? I think the principle of one work one man may (like the division of labour) be carried too far--and is. One result of this is to widen the breach between art and industry. W.C. The principle is not carried very far yet, so far as I know. How a principle which actually unites art and industry can widen the breach between them I am unable to understand. L.F.D. The present alliance of Arts and Crafts is offensive as well as defensive. It constitutes an attack upon industry; does it not? W.C. Most certainly the Arts and Crafts movement is an attack upon a commercial or capitalistic organisation of industry. It is both offensive and defensive, as you say. L.F.D. Industry may have gone astray; but yours is not the way to bring it back to the path of art! You don't suppose a handful of independent "art-workers" will upset it? W.C. A handful of independent workers finspired largely by a new social ideal) have at least set up a new standard, have created a new class of artist-craftsmen and a more or less sympathetic public. No one supposed they could suddenly transform the factory system and machine-production for profit into artistic production for use in the great world; but it is remarkable how quick commercial industry has been to imitate some of the aforesaid artist-craftsmen--how largely, in fact, it lives upon their ideas. s L.F.D. You speak for yourself when you say the Arts and Crafts movement is socialistic. Some of us who have worked for it have no belief in reversing the current of industrial progress. W.C. What may you mean by " reversing the current of industrial progress "? L.F.D. I mean, for example, going back to hand-labour and production on a scale which...