presumed must be Mr. George Wallis, formerly head master of the Manchester School of Design; since, during his connection with that institution, an Exposition of British Manufactures is recorded in the "Art Union," now the "Art Journal," as having been held in connection with the works of the students of the school then under Mr. Wallis's direction. The "Art Union" describes and criticises this Exposition in a special number, published as a Supplement in January, 1846, and the critiques are illustrated by a profusion of woodcuts, giving a very distinct idea of the extent and importance of this Exhibition, of which the "Art Union" prophetically remarked,-"The first pure Exposition of Industrial Art, exclusively for its own sake, which has ever been held in England, will mark an epoch not only in the history of Manchester, but also in the history of the empire. The example will not be lost: other schools will no doubt be roused to emulation; but the honour of leading the way can never be dissevered from the name of Manchester." Fortunately, all conjecture on this subject is put an end to by a very interesting letter on Expositions of Manufacture and Local Museums of Art," published in the "Midland Counties Herald,"* during the period at which the late Exposition at Birmingham was open, and attracting so much public attention. This letter is signed "George Wallis, formerly principal Master of the Manchester School of Design," and proceeds to detail certain minute beginnings and after-proceedings in connection with the growth of this question. Tracing up certain steps of progress, to which we freely confess we are largely indebted for many useful hints, the writer proceeds to state, that in 1842, when the rooms of the Birmingham Society of Arts had become comparatively useless through the secession of the resident artists from the annual exhibition of pictures, he wrote to a com mittee formed for establishing the present School of Design in that building, and suggested "that in its

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November 9th, 1849.

plans for the establishment of a school in Birming ham, it should make provision for a periodical Exposition of Manufacturing Art, as, from the central position of that town, to which all lines of railway seemed at that period to be converging, together with the admirable character of the premises occupied by the Society, it would certainly be in a better position than the school of any other provincial town for the realization of so desirable a result as the bringing together of specimens of the various manufactures of England at stated periods." On the invitation of the Committee through the chairman, it appears Mr. Wallis subsequently met them, and he states that all appeared to take up the question very warmly, and no member more so than the present Bishop of Manchester.* Nothing appears to have been done beyond talking the matter over, but it is stated in the letter that that meeting and subsequent experience only served to convince the writer that "our manufacturers only needed a fair explanation of the question to take it up very warmly." With this conviction, it would appear that in due time Mr. Wallis broached his views at Manchester, where he states that he was "fortunate in his colleague, the honorary secretary to the School of Design, Mr. George Jackson,+ who had long contemplated the possibility of a display of British manufacturing art, but who was anxious to see permanent results arise therefrom in the shape of local museums." From subsequent statements in that letter, it would seem that these two gentlemen were the real originators of the Corporate Towns' Museum Bill, which Mr. Ewart subsequently brought into Parliament and got passed. This, however, was one of the collateral results of the exhibition agitation, but does not appear to have pro

Then the Rev. J. Prince Lee.

Mr. Jackson was one of the early promoters of Exhibitions in connection with Mechanics' Institutions, and some lectures on Art, which he delivered at the Manchester Mechanics' Institution in 1837, did much towards promoting, if they did not actually originate, the first Polytechnic Exhibition.

duced much good in the direction in which it was intended, since scarcely a town in England has availed itself of its provisions to provide an instructive place of resort for its population. Probably the Great Exhibition may re-act in this direction. If so, its results will be of more permanent value than many have contemplated. Fashion is almost omnipotent, and a great display in London may lead to small displays in those portions of the provinces where such things have not yet been dreamt of.

It has been already stated, that the French Exposition of 1844 gave a great stimulus to the movement in favour of exhibitions of manufacture in England. Mr. Whishaw's proposal to the Society of Arts in November of that year in all probability had its origin therein. In 1845, a palpable shape was given to its progress by the getting up of a great Bazaar in Covent Garden, in aid of the funds of the Anti-Corn-Law League. Unfortunately, this Exposition, for such undoubtedly it was, came in such a form that the good which otherwise might have resulted from it as a display of British ingenuity, skill, and enterprise, was much lessened. Still, enormous service was done, and this Bazaar proved beyond a doubt that the foreigner had had the credit for doing very much which in reality was done in this country, and it effectually opened the eyes of a very large body of persons on that point. TheArt Union"* devoted a large space to a description of the best productions, in which Art entered as an element, and gave numerous illustrations, taking, occasion to follow up its already distinctly avowed advocacy of a National Exposition; and from that time one of our ablest writers on industrial subjects, the late Dr. Cooke Taylor, pursued the theme in that journal on all fitting opportunities, working earnestly in conjunction with the able editor, Mr. S. C. Hall, thus doing a great service in constantly bringing the

* July, 1845.