Designed for function, each chair has a story to tell about the history and evolution of American design, art, and craftmanship. At the heart of the catalogue is the presentation of 57 chairs from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection of American Art covered in 49 essays, showcasing the beauty of the chairs and their historical context, as well as important social, economic, political, and cultural influences. Highlights include designs by John Henry Belter, George Hunzinger, Herter Brothers, Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Roy Lichtenstein, and Frank Gehry, among others. The chairs are arranged across four broadly chronological sections, from the early 1800s to the Civil War; from Reconstruction through the Gilded Age to the dawn of the 20th Century; from Art Nouveau to post-war Modernism; and finally, from the post-war Space Age to the Digital Age and the contemporary focus on space saving and sustainability. Each section opens with a brief introduction to its key themes.

About the Author
Brian J. Lang is chief curator and Windgate Foundation Curator of Contemporary Craft, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Previously, he worked as curator of Decorative Arts at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina.Kelley N. Keator is project editor, The Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation.

Reviews
"The collection, spanning the 200 years between 1810 and 2010--from the aesthetic movement to the arts-and-crafts movement to the more recent modern movement--tells the story of who we are as Americans, a young country brimming with inventiveness, energy and dreams of endless possibility."--Cabeth Cornelius, Jacksonville Luxury Living



Book Information
ISBN 9781913875213
Author Brian J Lang
Format Hardback
Page Count 248
Imprint D Giles Ltd
Publisher D Giles Ltd