From Library Journal
This handbook is a comprehensive study of international design, decade by decade, with essays on the trends, innovations, and significant objects of each period. The captions, which accompany the excellent illustrations, include detailed discussions of the aesthetic and intellectual impact of these "landmarks of 20-century design," from the Barcelona Chair to the Walkman, Larsen fabrics to Michael Graves's tea kettle. The second section includes short biographies of the designers with individual bibliographical references, along with a general bibliography and an excellent index. A splendid overview of a century of striking originality and aesthetic practicality. Recommended for all visual arts collections.
- Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
One of the most popular exhibitions at New York's Museum of Modern Art is the design collection, an assortment of utilitarian items chosen for their style. In this attractive book, 400 such items are arranged by decade, from a Tiffany vase made in the 1890s to the popular Michael Graves teakettle from the 1980s. In between are Corning tableware, London Transport posters, an Eames chair, Tupperware, Lightolier track lighting, and the Sony Walkman. A photograph (usually black-and-white) accompanies each entry, as does the name of the designer and manufacturer, dimensions, and a museum location. Each decade is introduced by an essay by the authors, who are colleagues at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The last third of the book consists of biographies of the designers, each followed by suggestions for further reading. A detailed index includes designers, manufacturers, and types of item--for example, fabric, lamp, typewriter.
There is little overlap between this work and the 101 items in the "Design" section of Contemporary Masterworks [RBB Ap 15 92]. That work includes fashion, cars, advertisements, and corporate-identity programs, none of which is found in Landmarks. Contemporary Designers [RBB F 15 91] is illustrated with many photographs but stresses the creators rather than their work.
Landmarks of Twentieth-Century Design will be a welcome addition to art collections in public and academic libraries. Sandy Whiteley
