Horn: an everyday plastic!

The holiday is over and back to work – well, not really work.  The first function was the Court only dinner on Tuesday September 4, which we held at the Savile Club in the West end this year.  This was a change from what is normally a City venue and some of the men took the opportunity to wear their white tuxedos (not de rigeur in the City)! 

The various Needlemaker committees met on Wednesday where we reviewed the year to date and discussed plans for the year ahead.  In about a month I will hand over the reins to a new Master but no time to reflect on that just yet.

I ended the day at a fascinating exhibition by the Horners' Company.  The exhibition has been on throughout the summer.  Like many Livery Companies, the Horners has moved its focus from its original craft into a modern evocation. Horn is a natural plastic (keratin) which can be moulded into many articles from combs and buttons to beakers and pressed into translucent sheets for lantern leaves and even windows.

The Company’s charitable activities support science and the promotion of plastic design and technology.  The collection is held at the Museum of Design in Plastics within the Arts University College at Bournemouth.

The current Master, Georgina Scott, is also the first woman to be Master of the Company – here we are in front of one of the exhibition cases (thanks to photographer, Stephen Blunt, from London Metropolitan University for sending the photo).  

My personal favourites in the exhibition were a selection of fans made out of horn and some very elegant contemporary jewellery made by some of their prize-winners.