“ The contributions in papier mâché of Messrs. Spiers and Son of Oxford, consist of tables, writing-desks, albums, fire-screens, &c., all of which are in good taste ; the ornamentation being sufficientlysubdued, and due regard being had to harmony of composition. They derive much of their interest andattraction from the paintings with which they are embellished, consisting of some of the most pictu-resque or celebrated edifices in Oxford, as well as sketches taken from its outskirts.”— Art Journal.

“Messrs. Spiers, of Oxford, exhibit numerous examples of papier mâché, many of them beautifullyornamented.”— Juries’ lleport on the Great Exhibition of 1851.

“ Among the latter, Messrs. Spiers and Son, of Oxford, have contributed a large case of papier mâchéarticles, decorated with very well-executed scenes in and about Oxford, including the colleges, cathe-drals, chapels, monuments, and other haunts of the young students.”— Ladies’ Newspaper.

“ Messrs. Spiers and Son, of Oxford, have contributed a highly valuable and interesting scries ofobjects in papier mâché, consisting of trays, cabinets, fire-screens, envelope-eases, work-boxes, portfolios,desks, writing-cases, &c., &c. On these are delineated with extreme fidelity views of the principalbuildings and scenes in and about Oxford. The collection is both valuable and unique.”— IllustratedExhibitor.

“ The importance of papier mâché manufacture may bo fairly estimated from the variety and numberof articles displayed in the Great Industrial Exhibition. Class XXVI. has been more particularly devotedto this article, and here we find, as large exhibitors, Messrs. Jennens and Bettridgo of Birmingham,Messrs. Spiers and Son of Oxford, and several other manufacturers. From the continent we find papiermâché goods exhibited by at least a dozen firms, but it is questionable, however, if any of them equal inperfection of material, beauty of form, and chasteness of ornamentation, those which are exhibited bythe manufacturers of our own country. * * * * Some of the earliest paper trays were ornamented withpolychromatic borders from the decorations in the Vatican, and in the centres were painted monochromegroups of figures copied from the antique. Next came the style adopted from the Chinese, consisting ofChinese landscapes, temples, and figures. Any attempt to reform the Chinese patterns was cried down ;hence it became one of the requisites, in ornamenting trays, to pay no attention to the laws of aerial andlinear perspective. In connection with this style, a peculiar mode of painting flowers in colours was nowvery frequent—this was also adopted from the Chinese. Stained silver in the shape of birds, combined withbronze skies, was much in request. Since that time by the exertions of Messrs. Spiers and Son, of Oxford,topographical, architectural, and pictorial landscapes have been introduced. And thus views of thoUniversity of Oxford, of its many colleges and halls, upon articles of ornament and utility, have foundtheir way into various parts of the world as remembrances of times past and early associations. * * * *Various methods of ornamenting papier mâché works are in vogue, and, as a material upon which thoartist’s pencil may be employed, its capabilities are exceedingly great. As examples of this we mayrefer to any of the beautiful and really artistic works of Messrs. Spiers and Son, of Oxford, alluded toabove, who have devoted their works principally to views of the colleges, churches, and objects of his-torical interest about Oxford and its neighbourhood. Their ornamental fire-screen on which is a viewof the Martyrs’ Memorial, is an exceedingly good example of that class of painting. All tho views ontheir works are painted by hand, and studious care is paid to drawing, light and shade, and colour. Theviews being all painted in Oxford, more attention is paid to local correctness in colour, and in the archi-tectural details, than is commonly the case. Many of the scenes are sketched upon the spot, and studiesof details made by the persons employed to paint them. There appears to be quite as much care bestowedon these views betore varnishing, as is given to oil-paintings upon canvas. These remarks may be themore necessary because some persons, not acquainted with the executive of painting, imagine, from thocorrectness of the architectural details, that they are done by some block-printing process.”— From anarticle by Professor llobert Hunt, in the Art Journal, Nov. 1851, on Papier Mâché Manufacture.

“ If the Messrs. Spiers, of Oxford, do not exhibit the largest assortment of papier mâché goods in thoExhibition,-they are certainly by no means behind their competitors in the beauty of the articles, or thoartistic skill with which they are decorated. The principal article exhibited is a table with a most elabo-rately-executed landscape in the centre, surrounded by a beautiful lace-like border ; the stand of thetable being also most tastefully decorated. The other articles exhibited are work-boxes, portfolios,trays, &c., the whole of which are ornamented with pure artistic taste, rendering them peculiarlyadapted for presents, or gages d’amour. On tho stand of the Messrs. Spiers, who were also successfulexhibiters in Hyde Bark, arc laid some very étirions pocket memorials of Oxford, which contain a map ofthat town, a table of distances from Oxford of the principal places in England, a list of the princii>alobjects of interest in the city, views of the interior and exterior of Messrs. Spiers’ own establishment, inthe High-street, (surrounded by an illuminated border, containing shields with the armorial bearings ofthe several Colleges,) St. John’s College and gardens, entrance to Oxford, Christ Church, &c. The orna-ments and architectural devices on this memorial are taken from illuminated MHS. in the BodleianLibrary, and from buildings in Oxford, and are executed in the best style ; tho various views (which areprinted in colours from lithographic-stones) being perfect gems of art.”— Morning Post ; lleport of theDublin Exhibition.

“ In that artistic-looking case, designed by Mr. Owen Jones, Mr. R. J. Spiers, the Mayor of Oxford, ofthe firm of Spiers and Son, whoso valuable private collection of works of art attests his taste and liberality,exhibits the choicest of his far-famed papier mâché productions. In the centre is a table, on the top ofwhich are portrayed picturesque views of tho city of which he is the chief magistrate, with its manytowers and spires, taken from the well-known meadows, which, with their pollards, give a character bytheir contrast to the beautiful city of Oxford. Around it are desks, and cabinets, and portfolios, and somoof those thousand of fanciful forms which papier mâché is made to assume for tho purpose of gracefulornamentation and household decoration.— Guide to the Crystal Palace, Sydenham.