Photographs courtesy of the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation By Andrew Casey Lucienne Day is best known today for her pioneering textile designs from the 1950s and ’60s, particularly her iconic ‘Calyx’ pattern, which was shown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Working chiefly for the London store Heal’s, her work was unified by […]
Robert Welch: an interview with Alice and Rupert Welch
Alice and Rupert Welch in the Chipping Campden studio. Photograph by Tony Muranka The work of designer and silversmith Robert Welch married craft-manufacture and industrial production and his broad range of designs brought clean, modern silhouettes into postwar homes. In MidCentury 09, you can read our Buyer’s Guide to collecting mid-century Welch. We also had […]
Lubna Chowdhary: lessons in ceramic from Eduardo Paolozzi
Lubna Chowdhary at work in her studio. All photographs Jeremy Jeffs By Jo-ann Fortune Modernist architecture sees little distinction between artwork and the built environment. Contemporary ceramicist Lubna Chowdhary continues this tradition, exploring the potential of colour and pattern to enhance our experience of urban spaces. MidCentury spoke to Lubna to discover more about her […]
A mid-century Christmas tree
Even the traditional Christmas tree can have a modern makeover. Modern Christmas Trees are a US-based company specialising in exactly that – a mid-century Christmas tree, itself inspired by the shape of A-frame cabins. We spoke to its founder, Matt Bliss, to find out more. The Modern Christmas Tree in the Stahl House […]
Harry Bertoia: an interview with Celia Bertoia
Harry Bertoia’s vast output of work spanned everything from sculpture to drawing; jewellery to his “sound sculptures”, as well as his famous Diamond chair. We speak to Harry’s daughter, Celia, to find out more about his art and designs and relationship with Knoll, as well as discussing the legacy of his work.
Curator’s Choice: Marcel Breuer desk for Bristol’s P.E. Gane & Co.
Marcel Breuer’s desk designed for the Bristol home of furniture retailer Crofton Gane is an an important example of early British Modernist design by one of the most celebrated architects of the 20th century. It also reveals the little known but fascinating story about an unlikely friendship.
Thorody: the grids and lines of the city
We speak to the duo behind Thorody to discover more about their Modernist-inspired hand screen-printed fabric and wallpapers.
Daniel Clarke: Modernist architecture as pattern
We talk to Daniel Clarke, a London based illustrator, who has collaborated with mid-century furniture store Førest to produce a range of upholstered pieces.
Modern British Furniture – A Good Read
Lesley Jackson’s Modern British Furniture offers just what our book shelves have been missing – a detailed survey of British mid-century furniture design.
From Danish design to Ercol: Lesley Jackson on furnishing her Pennine retreat
In Midcentury issue 08, design historian and curator Lesley Jackson introduces us to some favourite pieces of Danish design from her personal collection. More recently, she’s turned her attention to Elmet Farmhouse, a Pennine hilltop holiday cottage near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, decorated and ‘curated’ with pieces from her extensive collection of post-war furniture and furnishing. We spoke to Lesley Jackson to find out more and to pick up a few tips.
From the Editor: about MidCentury 08
And so we’re back with another print issue – the long-anticipated MidCentury 08! This issue has once again been a joy to put together, giving us the opportunity to visit a lovingly renovated Grade II listed Span house in Blackheath and a…
Scandinavian Furniture Design: in conversation with Aldric Speer
In May 2015, Parisian auction house Artcurial will, for the first time, offer a sale dedicated exclusively to Scandinavian furniture design. We asked Artcurial’s Aldric Speer to share his insights into the Scandinavian design market and give us an indication of what we can expect to see in the sale.