[2] Some of his wallpaper designs and some watercolour copies of Botticelli works survive in the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

[3][4] He wrote and published widely on the decorative arts and particularly encouraged the study of design through examination of museum exhibits.

The title was established in 1902 "to supply designs in a readily applicable form to those who do not invent, plan, or adapt ornament, and who find difficulty in obtaining good and suitable suggestions for their work".

Not only did Townsend contribute to the publication, he was successful in garnering contributions from several notable writers on the Arts and Crafts movement including Walter Crane, Alexander Fisher, A. Romney Green, James Guthrie, J. Illingworth Kay, May Morris, Bernard Rackham, Silvester Sparrow, Alfred Stevens and Lawrence Weaver.

Articles included reviews of the works of Charles Robert Ashbee, Sidney Barnsley, Walter Crane, Bernard Cuzner, Alexander Fisher, Arthur Gaskin, Ernest Gimson, Ambrose Heal Jr., Ernestine Mills, May Morris, Charles Spooner, Heywood Sumner, Mary Seton Fraser Tytler (Mrs G. F. Watts), C.F.A.