{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O539157"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O539157/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O539157","accessionNumber":"E.1359-1986","objectType":"Poster","titles":[{"title":"Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Lithograph poster printed in black on a white ground, showing an illustration of a rodent running on a hamster wheel, with text above and below. It features a quote by the Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle: '<i>Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight</i>'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Fletcher, Alan","id":"A13141"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Mitford, (Tessa) Boo","id":"A39807"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Pentagram Design Ltd.","id":"C3681"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"CTD Printers Ltd.","id":"A26610"},"association":{"text":"printers","id":"x31107"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Zaehnsdorf and Croft","id":"AUTH321410"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"lithography","id":"AAT53271"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lithograph printed in black","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Posters","id":"THES252963"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLC (VA)","id":"THES49171"},"free":"","case":"Y","shelf":"72","box":"39"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"poster","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1983","earliest":"1983-01-01","latest":"1983-12-31"},"association":{"text":"issued","id":"x45592"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.1360-1986","id":"O539156"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"E.1361-1986","id":"O539155"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"84.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"59.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measurements taken from: \r\n<u>Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing</u>. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight. Thomas Carlyle'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered as part of the design."}],"objectHistory":"The design was based on the theme 'Quest for Quality', conceived and designed for I.B.M. Europe's new headquarters in Paris.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight'. Lithograph poster quoting Thomas Carlyle and featuring a rodent running on a hamster wheel. Designed by Alan Fletcher and (Tessa) Boo Mitford of Pentagram Design Ltd., Great Britain, 1983.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing</u>. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a Scottish historian chiefly remembered for his works on The French Revolution, and Friedrich II of Prussia.  He also published some deeply racist and dangerous political pamphlets and essays during his lifetime, promoting antisemitic and pro-slavery views which in part laid the groundwork for the rise in 20th century fascism. Whilst his views courted controversy at the time and led to estrangements with various colleagues and friends, details of his unsavoury politics are still often omitted from biographical accounts of his life and legacy.  For further reading, see J. Salwyn Schapiro, \"Thomas Carlyle, Prophet of Fascism,\" The Journal of Modern History 17, no. 2 (Jun., 1945)."}],"production":"Conceived and designed for I.B.M. Europe's new headquarters in Paris.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"rodent","id":"x35726"},{"text":"hamster wheel","id":"x47767"},{"text":"quotations (texts)","id":"AAT26941"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1359-1986"],"accessionNumberNum":"1359","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1986,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"V&A microfiche","id":"THES50288"},"number":"30/C12"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-23","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}