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Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight

Poster
1983 (issued)
Artist/Maker
Pentagram Design Ltd. (designers)
CTD Printers Ltd. (printers)
Zaehnsdorf and Croft (manufacturers)
Fletcher, Alan (designer)
Mitford, (Tessa) Boo (designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (designed)

Lithograph poster printed in black on a white ground, showing an illustration of a rodent running on a hamster wheel, with text above and below. It features a quote by the Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle: 'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight'.

Object details

Categories
Prints
Posters
Object type
Poster
TitleNothing is more terrible than activity without insight
Materials and techniques
Lithograph printed in black
Lithography
Brief description
'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight'. Lithograph poster quoting Thomas Carlyle and featuring a rodent running on a hamster wheel. Designed by Alan Fletcher and (Tessa) Boo Mitford of Pentagram Design Ltd., Great Britain, 1983.
Physical description
Lithograph poster printed in black on a white ground, showing an illustration of a rodent running on a hamster wheel, with text above and below. It features a quote by the Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle: 'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 84.1cm
  • Width: 59.5cm
Measurements taken from: Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Marks and inscriptions
'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight. Thomas Carlyle' (Lettered as part of the design.)
Object history
The design was based on the theme 'Quest for Quality', conceived and designed for I.B.M. Europe's new headquarters in Paris.
Production
Conceived and designed for I.B.M. Europe's new headquarters in Paris.
Subjects depicted
Rodent
Hamster Wheel
Quotations (Texts)
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
  • Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a Scottish historian chiefly remembered for his works on The French Revolution, and Friedrich II of Prussia. He also published some deeply racist and dangerous political pamphlets and essays during his lifetime, promoting antisemitic and pro-slavery views which in part laid the groundwork for the rise in 20th century fascism. Whilst his views courted controversy at the time and led to estrangements with various colleagues and friends, details of his unsavoury politics are still often omitted from biographical accounts of his life and legacy. For further reading, see J. Salwyn Schapiro, "Thomas Carlyle, Prophet of Fascism," The Journal of Modern History 17, no. 2 (Jun., 1945).
Other number
30/C12 - V&A microfiche
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.1359-1986

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O539157/nothing-is-more-terrible-than-poster-fletcher-alan/
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