Design For Africa (1950s)

the stifling heat of tropical Africa the Grandeur of its immense landscape the Vivid color of its life and peoples it all seems a long way from lver brothers and univa in Great Britain but the connection is really very close indeed through the United Africa company the most versatile of all the unver companies over the years it has built up a two-way trade rich in scope and variety from the ports of Africa come palm oil palm kernels ground nuts raw materials vital to many of our products and to the African we sell in return the manufactured goods that will mean a higher standard of living for him and for his family in every corner of the world the United Africa company has agents looking for the 10,000 And1 things the African wants and don't imagine the African can be fobbed off with any old thing like you and me he knows what he likes and if he doesn't like it take clothes for example they're not exactly what we' choose for ourselves perhaps but they suit a country where the sun is strong and hard and though there only one aspect among many of the United Africa companies trade they're an intriguing subject the African man and woman loves bold Rich colors in bold striking patterns colors and patterns that lend a vivid Blaze to festive occasions in the sample room at the United Africa company's textile Department in Manchester there's a great deal you have to know about the African Market if a trading station is actually going to do any trade getting just the right designs is a very specialized business and only comes from constant study of local conditions by the actual people on the spot the racks of the Sample Room often hold as many as 20,000 different patterns ideas for designs can come in all sorts of ways from the embroidery of a velvet skull cap or an African slipper to the decoration of a Rapier basket many of the designs are suggested by the Africans themselves employees and customers some are based on African fables or Parables or symbolize obscure but powerful African Gods Not only that often different places have their own traditional patterns and they won't take any others after all why should they you wouldn't find a McTavish wearing the tarton of a McGregor here the eye of the great asanin the star king of the asantis keeps Eternal vigilance the story tells how after years of Exile he returned to his people the greatest chief of all now we have the leopard skin as a sign of his royalty Thorns for the sorrow of his people in his death and his eye so that people shall not forget how his Spirit descends at ritual times and dwells within the heart of the ashan's living ruler we shall not forget you the inscription reads great father and all conquering Lion in another design the LW of the Jungle comes to life the dear runs un the Glade but death stalks on silent velvet pads the leap is too Swift even for a cry and the Deer Falls but the hunter is in his turn hunted down the spear is H the leopard Falls as his victim fell and in Triumph he is borne back to the Village getting a pattern exactly right can never just be left to chance that's why the United Africa company has its own team of designers who through long experience and close study understand the special needs of the African Market when the artist's brush has made its last stroke the Craftsmen take over from us for a while the engravers and the printers then the design rarely starts on a progress that may end anywhere from the clamoring ports of the Gold Coast forests of Nigeria or a jungle clearing in the heart of the great Congo basin [Music] at last the design that left the United Africa company on paper goes back to them from the printers in bales of gay colored cotton the textile Department takes over once more shipping the cloth to Africa and within a few months The Man Who Thought of the idea maybe selling it wearing it on his back so comes the end of a chapter even though for the United Africa company it's only the beginning of another and much much longer one but of that we may hear more another time