David Mellor - Design

David Mellor: Design is an introduction to the designer, his works and his importance within the British design landscape, post 1950. The wider world knows him for his cutlery, which although exquisite and important, is the tip of the iceberg. To see Mellor as 'just' a cutlery designer is to miss his depth: his love of public projects, street furniture or Church commissions. But then to see Mellor as 'just' a designer is to miss his influence as a patron of architecture, or his passion for retailing and promoting British crafts. He may be the 'King of cutlery' but that is just the beginning.

David Mellor (1930-2009) began his career at the RCA, developing sophisticated yet simple aesthetics which he displayed through his silver smithing. His cutlery continued in the Sheffield tradition whilst using some technologically advanced manufacturing methods and radically modern designs. He also designed public street furniture in the 50s and 60s which pulled Britain's streets into the modern era. During the late 1960s he opened a shop in Sloane Square, London. His work as a retailer helped introduce the highest professional design standards into our equipment for cooking with and eating with. It followed the trail led by Elizabeth David, introducing continental cuisine to the country, a development that today seems so natural. Beautifully and comprehensively illustrated, this book opens up the wonderful work of David Mellor to a wider audience.

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Teleri Lloyd-Jones is editorial assistant at Crafts Magazine and an independent scholar.