Arts & Crafts 1927-1968
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Overview.
The union of The Boys’ Brigade and The Boys’ Life Brigade in 1926 resulted in many former BLB awards being introduced into the BB. Awarded to Boys over 14 years of age who are members of classes held by the Company for Singing, Instrumental Music (other than Bands), Drawing, Carpentering and Woodworking, Metal Work, Artistic Designing, or other subjects, and who have attended regularly for two complete Sessions of not fewer than twelve classes each, and have attained a satisfactory standard of merit in their work. In XXXX additional stages were introduced, with certificates and coloured felt backings awarded to denote the stage of award.
In 1968, the new barrel awards were introduced which again separated Arts from Crafts, with a further category of ‘Hobbies’ being created. There were now three badges replacing one.
The story in detail.
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Design.
The Badges Committee set up after the union of the BLB and BB in 1926 reported to the BB Executive in May 1927 with suggestions for new badges. The Arts and Crafts Badge was approved, but the design, it was stated, would have to be chosen by the Badges Sub-Committee.i The scope of the new badge was intimated in the Gazette less than a month later: ‘Arts & Crafts: these include singing, instrumental music, drawing, carpentering, woodworking, metal work,artistic designing.’ 2
Most of these areas had simply not been covered by any BB badge prior to 1926, so it is to the BLB we have to go to discover the extent of the task facing the Committee and the origin of the design that was finally accepted. The BLB, from about 1912, had been taking on a wide variety of badges in order to accommodate the demands of Scouting. Towards the end of the Great War when metal was in short supply and the BLB had initiated a change to full uniform, development of cloth badges accelerated. Two of these The BLB Arts Badge left and right the BLB Handicraft Badge; the clear parents of the BB Arts and Crafts Badge.
The BLB Arts Badge incorporated an artist’s palette as its central motif and the Handicraft Badge likewise had a hammer with its shaft through open dividers. 4 The design idea for the latter probably originated with the Army ‘Trade’ badge, having hammer & pincers crossed.5 The two BLB badges had been circular, but with the new badge being produced in nickel the opportunity presented itself for the creation of the unique palette shape with the hammer and dividers superimposed along with a bow to represent the more aesthetic practical arts.
In 1968, the new barrel awards were introduced which again separated Arts from Crafts, with a further category of ‘Hobbies’ being created. There were now three badges replacing one. All the symbols used on the former Arts & Crafts Badge had gone. The 1983 award system brought a return to one badge covering Arts, Crafts, Hobbies & Music, virtually the same content as the 1927 Arts & Crafts Badge. Now, however, it would be called ‘Interests’, with the standardised ‘TV shape the badge artist’s problem was similar to that faced by the BLB which also had had two badges. Peter Flewker the designer of the 1983 Awards, came up with a finished design incorporating three of the elements used on the original BLB Badges: musical notes, a hammer and a palette.
Source (design text): Badge of the Brigade. Bolton, Howie, Mandry. 2000. pp92
