Contemporary: Architecture and Interiors of the 1950s

Jackson, Lesley

ISBN 10: 0714837571 / ISBN 13: 9780714837574

Published by Phaidon Press, 1994

About this Item

Inscribed by the late noted architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Laid in is a gallery card announcing the May 25 - June 29, 2002 "Pierre Koenig: Case Study Houses #21 and #22" show at the Craig Krull Gallery. It is debatable who made who more famous, Shulman or Koenig, both of whose work are very prominent in the book, including the cover and frontispiece. Also laid in is an 4 page brochure "Julius Shulman Modernity and the Metropolis" brochure from the Getty Research Institute. Slight tanning to DJ spine. DJ in protective mylar cover. A crisp, unread copy with previous owner's bookplate on half-title page. 240 pp., profusely illustrated with color and B&W architectural photos and period ads. An exhaustive survey of trends in taste, architecture and interior design at a time of economic regeneration and social renewal. Chapter headings include: The Birth of the Contemporary Style; The House; The Interior; Decoration and Fittings; Furniture and Furnishings; and Society Goes Contemporary. Includes a great reference section with a glossary, collections of interest and places to visit, an exhaustive selected bibliography and index.

Seller Inventory # 005777

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Contemporary: Architecture and Interiors of the 1950s
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0714837571
• ISBN 13: 9780714837574
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Shulman, Julius (photographs)
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Modern Architecture and Design

About this title

Synopsis

This book is the first to explore fully the so-called 'contemporary' style that dominated architecture and design from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s. It was an era of optimism and confidence, where new ideas in architecture and design flourished alongside the emergent consumer culture.

Emanating mainly from the USA, the 'contemporary' style was fresh and liberating, manifesting itself in the picture window and the open plan, in new forms of furniture from Scandinavia and stylish light fittings from Italy, and most tellingly in the contemporary kitchen with its fitted units and mod-con appliances. This book examines the fresh and liberated design ideas of this buoyant era with an acute eye and open mind.

About the Author

Lesley Jackson is a freelance writer and curator specializing in twentieth-century design. She is the author of The Sixties: Decade of Design Revolution, also published by Phaidon.