Mid-century Modern Furniture

The Ultimate Collector's resource, including hundreds of pieces by well-known designers from around the world. From armchairs and chaises longues to cabinets and nightstands, the period between the late 1930s and early 1970s was one of the most productive, inventive and exciting times for objects and furnishings in the home. Postwar optimism combined with new manufacturing methods and material techniques to create an explosion of new design and objects of desire. The appetite for mid-century modern remains as strong as ever, both for classic designs, many still in production since they were launched, and for rare, hard-to-find or out-of-production pieces by lesser-known designers. While numerous books surveying mid-century modern design have appeared over the years, no publication has been specifically conceived for the growing collector market in mid-century modern design, focusing on each piece of furniture as an object of formal invention, manufacturing intelligence, and material innovation. This definitive book profiles hundreds of pieces in a substantial format perfect for reference in design libraries, studios, and the homes of private collectors, or as a design object in its own right. Each item of furniture is presented in detail, illustrated in color, and profiled through in-depth descriptive text by Dominic Bradbury. The book's substantial reference section includes essays on materials (e.g., plywood) and profiles of designers. The work of a host of influential talents is profiled throughout, along with lesser-known pieces by Piet Hein, Bruno Mathsson, Lina Bo Bardi, and Alexander Girard.