‘Waves and Fish’

Bawden's wallpapers were retailed in two small but important shops in London in the 1920s: The Little Gallery, Chelsea opened by Muriel Rose in 1928 and Modern Textiles in South Kensington opened by Elspeth Little in 1926. Both shops retailed a mix of design and craft, drawn from the work of the friends and acquaintances of both women. Theirs was a small world, consisting of students of the Royal College of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts. Patterns papers and wallpapers featured heavily in both shops, made into lampshades and books. The shops also supplied interior decorators working in the homes of the area's elite.