Contemporary Applied Arts: records

Membership books of the Crafts Council of Great Britain Ltd. (1964 - 1972); Account book of the Crafts Council of Great Britain Ltd. (1964 - 1972); Minutes of the Crafts Council of Great Britain Ltd. (1971 - 1972); Files on exhibitions, including exhibition catalogues and stock records of work displayed, detailing costs and receipts (ca. 1970 - 1985); Photographs and slides of exhibitions, exhibits and artists' works generally (ca. 1970 - 1989) including furniture, glass, jewellery, metalwork and textiles; Photographs, prints and negatives of individuals, including some of artists, artists at work, people attending exhibitions and architectural features (ca. 1970 - 1989); Posters and publications (ca. 1970 - 1989).

The British Crafts Centre was established in 1973 when the Crafts Centre of Great Britain, founded in 1948 to support and promote quality craft work nationally and internationally, merged with the Crafts Council of Great Britain Ltd. The British Crafts Centre was established as a registered charity run for and by its members, receiving an annual grant from the Crafts Council. The British Craft Centre's aims were to promote the best work and to educate the public, primarily by exhibiting members' work. The criteria for selection were that works should be contemporary, distinctive, original in concept and among the best of their kind. Membership of the organisation peaked in the 1970s at over 1,000 members. In 1987 the British Crafts Centre changed its name to Contemporary Applied Arts. By the 1990s members numbered approximately 300.

Two separate accessions from the same fonds of similar scope and contents have been catalogued together. The material is organised in keeping with the original order in which it was maintained by the archive's creator, the British Crafts Centre, latterly Contemporary Applied Arts.

This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Study Rooms by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Given by Contemporary Applied Arts, 1994, AAD/1994/13.

Given by Tanya Harrod, 2004, AAD/2004/1.

Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

See also: Crafts Council, records (1960-1994), The 1991 Crafts Council deposit contains information relating to the Crafts Council's involvement with Contemporary Applied Arts. National Art Library Information File.