BARBARA BROWN (BRITISH B.1932) FOR HEALS: A length of 'Sweet Corn' fabric, designed in 1958, sewn into four curtain panels, printed "SWEETCORN BY BARBARA BROWN'; and a length of Sweet Briar Fabric, designed in 1959, printed "SWEETCORN BY BARBARA BROWN' to the border.

Sweet Corn: each panel approx 172 x 119 cm
Sweet Briar: 219 x 111 cm

Reference:
See Victoria & Albert Museum, London, accession numbers T.275:2-1999 (Sweet Corn) and T.283:5-1999 (Sweet Briar) for other examples of these fabrics.

Barbara Brown became known as the 'golden girl' of Heal's fabric designers. Now in her early 90s, Barbara Brown first sold her fabric design to Heal's buyer Tom Worthington from her final degree show when she was studying at the RCA in 1953. She became one of their leading designers for the next two decades. Her strongly geometric designs often have a 3D quality, and drew on the optical art movement of the 1960s. She acted as a consultant to other companies and is widely regarded as one of the leading textile designers of the mid twentieth century.