Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Frederick Litchfield created an enduring classic study of functional art with his Illustrated History of Furniture. This reprinting is presented out of a deep appreciation for the excellent scholarship and many illuminating insights that he so generously shared. The first chapter, which refers to Ancient Furniture and covers a period of several centuries, is introductory to those that follow, rather than a serious attempt to examine the history of the furniture during that space of time. The fourth chapter, which deals with a period of some hundred and fifty years, from the time of King James the First until that of Chippendale and his contemporaries, and the last three chapters, are more fully descriptive than some others, partly because trustworthy information to these times was more accessible, and partly because it is probable that English readers will feel greater interest in the furniture of which they are the subject. The French meubles de luxe, from the latter half of the seventeenth century until the Revolution, are also treated more fully than the furniture of other periods and countries, on account of the interest which has been manifested in this description of the cabinet maker's and metal mounter's work. Evidence of this appreciation may be found in the enormous prices realized at notable auction sales, when such furniture has been offered for competition to wealthy connoisseurs. Such furniture cannot be cheap certainly, but the real cost is sometimes borne by the artist who produces, rather than by the man who may happen to buy it. It is often forgotten that the price paid is that of the lives and sustenance of the workers and their families.

Visionary furniture design from Vienna In 1938, Vienna lost its best and most creative minds. This rupture was manifested in all of the arts and sciences and its mark is felt to this day - not least in the field of furniture design. With inexhaustible creativity the Jewish furniture designers who were forced to flee Vienna continued to work while in exile. They taught at the best universities and spread their ideas and vision throughout the entire world. Their creations became classics of twentieth-century furniture design, the epitome of mid-century modern style. This book honors the memory of the exiled designers with a thorough overview of their work. It details their life stories and their visionary designs, which remain as relevant and contemporary as ever, and brings to light new aspects of the history of Viennese furniture design. A new history of Viennese furniture design, with 27 detailed biographies Numerous previously unpublished photographs and sketches Including works by Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Martin Eisler, Josef Frank, Friedrich Kiesler, Richard Neutra, Bruno Pollak, Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky, Franz Singer, Ernst Schwadron, among others

Trimmings are often overlooked as mere details of a furnished interior but in the past they were seen as vital and costly elements in the decoration of a room. They were used not only on curtains and beds but also on wall hangings, upholstered seat furniture and cushions, providing a visual feast for the eye with their colour and intricate detail. Sometimes more expensive than the rich fabrics they enhanced, trimmings are often the only surviving evidence of a lost decorative scheme, reapplied to replacement textiles or found as fragments in the attic. This book, the first of its kind, traces their history in Britain and Ireland from 1320 to 1970, examining the design and usage of tassels, fringe, braid (woven lace), gimp and cord and their dependence on French fashion. Lavishly illustrated with new photography, the substantial text links surviving items in historic houses and museums to written evidence, paintings, drawings and other primary sources to provide a firm framework for dating pieces of less-certain provenance. The importance of the 'laceman', the maker of these trimmings, is also examined within an economic and social context, together with the relationship to the upholsterer and interior decorator in the creation of a fashionable room.

An essential new look at the design philosophy that interrogated modern living against the turbulent political landscape of 1960s Italy In the mid-1960s, reacting to contemporary social and political upheaval, young Italian architects and designers began developing a new style that openly challenged Modernism. Known as "Radical design," this movement probed possibilities for visually transforming the urban environment. Radical design's proponents also applied it to items such as furniture and lighting, utilizing alternative materials and an innovative formal vocabulary. Radical: Italian Design 1965-1985 surveys the work of these pioneering designers through nearly 70 objects and architectural models-including rare prototypes and limited-production pieces. Cindi Strauss insightfully explores the aesthetic inspiration and changing cultural mores that informed the movement, and her research is complemented by an essay from Germano Celant, the acclaimed author and curator who coined the term "Radical design." Importantly, the book includes seven interviews with Radical designers and architects, offering fresh insights into the individuals who were at the vanguard of this groundbreaking movement. Published in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Exhibition Schedule: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (February 14-April 26, 2020) Yale School of Architecture Gallery (September 3-November 20, 2021)

Joe Colombo (Milan, 1930-1971) was one of the greatest designers of the last century, visionary and ingenious, capable of giving shape to ideas that retain a striking relevance to this day. Trained first at the Brera Academy and then at the Polytechnic of Milan, Joe Colombo has expressed, in just 20 years of work, an absolutely innovative world view, placing man and his life at the centre of reflection, imagined a dynamic and transformable habitat both on a domestic and urban scale. A design in the round, aimed at satisfying every need - also thanks to technology and new materials - and to shape the space and its objects according to the different activities of the moment, be they working or social interactions. From here, the modular and dynamic furnishing accessories with futuristic lines, among which some pieces that have become iconic of Italian design stand out such as the Tube Chair, the Spider lamp (Compasso d'Oro 1967) or the Boby trolley (now at the MoMA in New York), the "monoblocks", such as the Mini-Kitchen or the Total Table with integrated dishes, up to the global housing unit, a visionary "machine", which encompasses all the needs of living. This volume constitutes the first catalogue raisonne of his work, of which about 180 projects are documented, divided between works still in production and historical works; introduced by the essays by Ignazia Favata - his historical collaborator - and Domitilla Dardi, it is completed by a critical anthology. Text in English and Italian.

Learn to sew your own stunning lampshades using this comprehensive step-by-step guide from the founder of the Traditional Upholstery School, Joanna Heptinstall. The book contains 18 fully illustrated step-by-step projects, featuring tailored, pleated, faux-pleated and loose-cover designs. Each technique is covered in detail, from measuring your fabric, choosing a frame shape, calculating your seams, creating a shade, adding trims and choosing a stand. The projects require few specialist tools, can be easily customised to suit your home decor, and cover a range of styles, sizes and fabrics. The book is bursting with inspirational images, along with tips and tricks of the trade that Joanna has acquired over her successful career in upholstery.

An exhilarating look at Art Deco design in 1920s America, using jazz as its unifying metaphor Capturing the dynamic pulse of the era's jazz music, this lavishly illustrated publication explores American taste and style during the golden age of the 1920s. Following the destructive years of the First World War, this flourishing decade marked a rebirth of aesthetic innovation that was cultivated to a great extent by American talent and patronage. Due to an influx of European emigres to the United States, as well as American enthusiasm for traveling to Europe's cultural capitals, a reciprocal wave of experimental attitudes began traveling back and forth across the Atlantic, forming a creative vocabulary that mirrored the ecstatic spirit of the times. The Jazz Age showcases developments in design, art, architecture, and technology during the '20s and early '30s, and places new emphasis on the United States as a vital part of the emerging marketplace for Art Deco luxury goods. Featuring hundreds of full-color illustrations and essays by two leading historians of decorative arts, this comprehensive catalogue shows how America and the rest of the world worked to establish a new visual representation of modernity.

Brings together a superb collection of over 650 detailed examples English furniture and needlework from 1600 to 1760 These volumes are dedicated to one of the finest collections of early English furniture and needlework, formed by Percival D. Griffiths (1861-1937). Together with the noted authority, Robert W. Symonds, Griffiths assembled a pioneering collection of early English decorative arts: furniture, domestic needlework and related objects all dating to the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth centuries. The book illustrates nearly 700 pieces owned by Griffiths and includes images of his interiors, and biographical data on Griffiths. Catalogue entries provide color images, exhibition histories, references, and provenance. These volumes present a wealth of new information that will aid both the amateur and connoisseur alike.

"How"" ""to"" ""Design"" ""a"" ""Light" tells you everything you need to know and looks at the principles and processes of designing a light.
In a working case study Arnold Chan, one of the world's best-known lighting designers, traces the design and development of one of his installation at the London restaurant Hakkasan, and reveals exactly what is involved in creating a successful design.