Christopher Dresser: Design Pioneer (Victoria and Albert Museum)

Christopher Dresser (1834–1904) was a British designer who advocated for an 'honesty of materials' and embraced industrial techniques. He designed for the growing consumer market, producing affordable, well-designed, functional, and commercially successful objects such as wallpapers, textiles, carpets, ceramics, furniture, and metalwork. This book presents 75 of his most important pieces with 117 illustrations in color.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 17 June 2021
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

British designer Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) is widely regarded as the country's first independent industrial designer. His works still look remarkably modern more than a century later. Dresser, like his contemporary William Morris, advocated for an 'honesty of materials', but unlike Morris, he fully embraced industrial techniques, designing for the growing consumer market. Dresser's fascination with the arts of Japan and his advocacy of Owen Jones' principle that ornament should be geometrical in form resulted in a range of designs that look surprisingly minimal for their time. Affordable, well-designed, functional, and commercially successful, the objects that Dresser designed - wallpapers, textiles, carpets, ceramics, furniture, and, most famously, metalwork - were industrially produced by manufacturers across the UK, the US, and continental Europe.

This compact, beautifully produced book on the work of Christopher Dresser begins with a brief introduction to his life and work before presenting 75 of his most important pieces, each accompanied by a narrative-style caption. It will appeal to anyone interested in modern design. With 117 illustrations in color, this book is a must-have for design enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Weight: 422g
Dimension: 179 x 198 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780500480700