Beryl
Design
1951 (drawn)
1951 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Sir William Henry Bragg and his son William were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for the invention of X-ray crystallography. This new science enabled the first drawings of the arrangement of atoms within molecules. It was particularly developed as one of the most significant and exciting branches of science during the late 1940s and put Britain at the cutting edge of international research. In 1946 Dr Helen Megaw, a Crystallographer (Crystallography – a study of the structure of matter) suggested that the patterns made by X-ray crystallography could be used as a fresh source of inspiration for wallpaper and fabric designers. The patterns were considered particularly appropriate for use in textile design because of their repetitive symmetry and natural beauty.
The Festival of Britain held in 1951 provided new opportunities for textile design and manufacture. This diagram of Beryl, a generic name for a group of minerals composed of hexagonal crystals, is one of a group of crystal structure drawings that inspired textiles made by the Festival Pattern Group for the event. The idea of patterns inspired by science was perfect for the theme of the Festival which had been planned as a ‘combined exhibition of science, technology and industrial design’.
The Festival of Britain held in 1951 provided new opportunities for textile design and manufacture. This diagram of Beryl, a generic name for a group of minerals composed of hexagonal crystals, is one of a group of crystal structure drawings that inspired textiles made by the Festival Pattern Group for the event. The idea of patterns inspired by science was perfect for the theme of the Festival which had been planned as a ‘combined exhibition of science, technology and industrial design’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Beryl (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink on paper |
| Brief description | Design for the 1951 Crystal Design Project for the Festival of Britain |
| Physical description | Design in blue ink on blue paper of a pattern based upon a cell structure diagram |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions | 8.9 (c) BERYL |
| Credit line | Given by the Council of Industrial Design |
| Object history | The mineral beryl is a beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate. The hexagonal crystals of beryl may be very small or range to several meters in size. Terminated crystals are relatively rare. Beryl exhibits conchoidal fracture, has a hardness of 7.5–8, a specific gravity of 2.63–2.80. It has a vitreous luster and can be transparent or translucent. Its cleavage is poor basal and its habit is dihexagonal bipyramidal. Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities; possible colors are green, blue, yellow, red, and white. The name comes from the Greek beryllos which referred to a precious blue-green color of sea water stone. The term was later adopted for the mineral Beryl more exclusively. X-ray crystallography involved projecting a narrow beam of X-rays on to crystalline material. Photographs were then taken of the diffracted X-rays, and the resulting lines or spots were used to plot ‘maps’ indicating the relationships between atoms. For the first time ever it enabled scientist to work out the structure of atoms within molecules. Britain was a world leader in the field of crystallography and during the post war period this was one of the most significant and stimulating branches of science. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Sir William Henry Bragg and his son William were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for the invention of X-ray crystallography. This new science enabled the first drawings of the arrangement of atoms within molecules. It was particularly developed as one of the most significant and exciting branches of science during the late 1940s and put Britain at the cutting edge of international research. In 1946 Dr Helen Megaw, a Crystallographer (Crystallography – a study of the structure of matter) suggested that the patterns made by X-ray crystallography could be used as a fresh source of inspiration for wallpaper and fabric designers. The patterns were considered particularly appropriate for use in textile design because of their repetitive symmetry and natural beauty. The Festival of Britain held in 1951 provided new opportunities for textile design and manufacture. This diagram of Beryl, a generic name for a group of minerals composed of hexagonal crystals, is one of a group of crystal structure drawings that inspired textiles made by the Festival Pattern Group for the event. The idea of patterns inspired by science was perfect for the theme of the Festival which had been planned as a ‘combined exhibition of science, technology and industrial design’. |
| Bibliographic reference | Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1968 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.78N-1968 |
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| Record created | November 21, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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