As it is such a beautiful day today I decided to sit out in the garden and have a read of The Design Encyclopedia by design historian Mel Byars. I have wanted to get my hands on this book for some time now and last month I was lucky enough to be given it as a present by one of my best friends in the whole world. He knows me too well, sometimes it is scary.
I have known Thomas since uni and we have remained firm friends ever since. Thomas recently started work as a flight attendant for a major European airline and is now leading an action-packed life flying all over the world from his base in Germany. In a recent trip to New York, he stopped off at the Museum of Modern Art where he picked up this beautiful book for me and I can’t thank him enough!
The book is a one-stop guide to the design industry, providing an insight into the essential framework of design from 1870 to 2004 when it was published. There are approximately 3,500 entries listed in alphabetical order making it extremely easy to find what you are looking for. The entries include designers, studios, consortia, partnerships and manufacturers as well as significant historical periods, styles and materials.
Each entry that is focused on a particular designer includes a biography, details of their education, major works, exhibitions and any awards they have won. Areas covered in the book include furniture, lighting, ceramics, fabrics, glassware, metalwork and electronic product design.
Whilst the book is an extremely comprehensive publication, and quite text-heavy, there are also over 700 colour illustrations that have been incorporated mainly from the Museum of Modern Art’s extensive collection.
When I picked it up, the first thing I did was search through to find the names of all the designers that I have had the pleasure of interviewing over the past few years. Most of them were indeed there of course except for a few who were not included, but I suspect there will be a place for them if a second edition is ever published.
So thanks once again Thomas for gifting me The Design Encyclopedia. It will be invaluable for my research from now on!