Two typed Letters Signed, successively to G[eorge]. K[enneth]. Menzies and W. Perry, Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts.

English politician (1881-1965) and architect, much of whose work was done in the United States. Both letters two pages, quarto. Both letters docketed (the first heavily so), bearing the Society's stamp, and with pin and staple holes in top left-hand corner. Second letter good, first lightly creased and grubby. Revealing documents relating to the Royal Society's 'British Art in Industry' exhibition, held at the Royal Academy in 1935. The Society's website describes this as a 'resounding success', but as these letters show, the matter was not so clear cut. Bossom is one of a number of the Society's members to have provided financial guarantees for the exhibition, and to have been asked to pay £68 15s 0d as a result. LETTER ONE: '[...] | How much did the exhibitors pay towards the abnormal expense in connection with this Exhibition, and what profit did they make out of it in the way of sales, etc? [...] | Of course hind-sight is always better than foresight, but looking at the matter now, doesn't it seem very obvious that the ones who were to gain by this situation were those who were getting their goods out for sale and certainly they should be the ones who guaranteed the amount of the exhibition and not private members of the Society of Arts, to anything like the extent they have been called upon to do. | It does seem an example of rather unfortunate management don't you think, for we had nothing whatever to gain by the matter and they had everything; and I must admit that when I went round the exhibition I was very much impressed by the great expense that had been undertaken to equip and arrange special lighting, etc. [...] Needless to say, I thought such expense was being born [sic] by the exhibitors, otherwise I must frankly say I should have called the attention of the Society to what appeared to me to be a very expensive way of handling the situation.' LETTER TWO: Blossom encloses a cheque, but asks that the point he has raised be brought before the Society's council. '[...] it is an abnormal situation for a learned body to hold and finance an exhibition, which in fact in certain respects becomes a show-room for various manufacturers, and who on this accound make considerable profit and yet the learned Society - [...] - bears the expense of providing not only the rooms for exhibition purposes but also the expense of erecting special stands, etc. [...] | I was for many years the Chairman of the Foreign Exhibitions Committee of the Architectural League of New York [...] I find that where the manufacturers have their goods exhibited they have to bear the expense of the setting [...] where the manufacturers have their names displayed on their goods I cannot see any possible reason why they should not bear the expense involved in the physical arrangements for the exhibition. | It obviously is the most valuable advertising, and in addition has caused sales to be made, and by no process of reasoning can it be diverted into being a strictly artistic exhibition - it did resolve itself into a commercial one. | [...] I was, while on the Council of the Royal Society of Arts, exceedingly keen on such a[n] [...] Exhibition [...] | Purely as a matter of interest, is there existing any precedent at all for the expense of such a commerical exhibition being borne by a strictly learned body?' Both letters signed 'Alfred C Bossom'.