Biography
Founded by Dorothy Hutton, a former student at the Central School of Art and already an established calligrapher. In addition to stocking prints, drawings, watercolours and some tempera paintings, she mounted short temporary displays lasting about three weeks of ceramics, textiles and silverware. It opened at 8 Holland Street, just off Kensington High Street in 1922.
Since Dorothy Hutton wanted to continue with her calligraphy and did not want to be tied to working on the premises constantly, she employed two young women to help her. Muriel Rose was appointed as a full-time general assistant, whilst Peggy Turnbull worked a couple of days a week doing the accounts. Subsequently the two women decided to go into partnership, with some £1,000 between them, and set up The Little Gallery. Happily, the parting with Dorothy Hutton was not acrimonious and she presented Muriel Rose with a fondly inscribed box made by John Paul Cooper as a leaving gift. Muriel Rose was later Director of Craft and Industrial Design at the British Council and curated major international exhibitions. As a Founder Trustee of the Crafts Study Centre, joining the Board (1970 - 6), she built up the CSCs crafts collection
