The Furniture Makers invited the writer of a new book on furniture and design to sign copies for Livery members and their guests yesterday at the Furniture Makers’ Hall.
Commissioned by The Furniture Makers’ Company, Modern British Furniture: Design Since 1945, was written by design historian and curator Lesley Jackson. The book was recently published by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
Focusing on design ingenuity, Modern British Furniture pinpoints the most inventive British designers and companies from 1945 to the present - from early post-war pioneers such as Ernest Race, Robin Day and Robert Heritage, to Pop icons such as Peter Murdoch, William Plunkett and Max Clendinning, to today’s global superstars led by Tom Dixon, Ron Arad and Jasper Morrison.
Exploring the free-spirited character of British design, this is a story of design entrepreneurs – Lucian Ercolani at Ercol and Rodney Kinsman at OMK, among others – and fruitful alliances between impassioned individuals and enlightened manufacturers, such as Frank Guille at Kandya and John and Sylvia Reid at Stag.
The book also captures the dynamism of contemporary British furniture design, with talented designers such as Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby collaborating with leading UK and international companies, and foreign designers such as El Ultimo Grito enlivening the British scene.
Lesley says: "Without the enthusiasm and support of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, this book would never have come to fruition. It was they who initiated the project in the first place and invited me to take it on. I am extremely grateful for their support as it was largely through the generosity of their members that I was able to undertake the necessary research. The book represents a positive collaboration between the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and the V&A."
The Master Jonathan Hindle comments: “Individuals, company donors and sponsors were drawn from The Furniture Maker’s Company membership to meet the author’s costs. All donors and sponsors are recognised in the book. According to the V&A, this is the only authoritative publication on British post-war and contemporary furniture. The Museum therefore has high hopes for its adoption worldwide as the pre-eminent reference book on this important period of British furniture design and manufacture”.
The Furniture Makers’ Company would like to thank the following donors for their generosity in sponsoring the research and writing of this book: Jonathan and Jessica Hindle, KI Furnishing Knowledge, Furniture Village, Frederick Parker Foundation and many more. For a full list of the sponsors please visit the website.
