Synopses & Reviews
The most famous designs of the twentieth century are not those in museums, but in the marketplace. The Coca-Cola bottle and McDonald's logo are known the world over and may tell us more about our culture than a narrowly-defined canon of classics. One of the world's foremost design historians, Jonathan Woodham takes a fresh look at the wider issues of design and industrial culture throughout Europe, Scandinavia, North America, and the Far East. Drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship, he explores themes such as national identity, the "Americanization" of ideology and business methods, the rise of multi-nationals, Pop and Postmodernism, and contemporary ideas of nostalgia and heritage. Woodham sets the proliferation of everyday design against the writing of critics as diverse as Nikolaus Pevsner, the champion of Modernism, and Vance Packard, author of The Hidden Persuaders. The history which emerges is clearly seen for what it is: the powerful and complex expression of aesthetic, social, economic, political, and technological forces.
Review
"Woodham gives a deftly organised, extremely cool-headed account of the ideological spoon-fights behind the product ranges of modern capitalism: his range of reference and eye for detail are superb."-- The Guardian
"For a good general introduction to the subject you could not go very far wrong with Jonathan Woodham's excellent Twentieth Century Design ... Yet another example of the impressive new Oxford History of Art series."-- The Bookseller
An excellent framework for understanding the development of design in this century ... destined to become the standard in this field."--Dennis Doordan, University of Notre Dame
"Clearly written, well illustrated ... introduces the reader to new approaches to design history."--Pat Kirkham, Bard Graduate Center
"The most complete introduction to date."--Paul Greenhaigh, Victoria and Albert Museum
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 258-273) and index.
About the Author
Jonathan M. Woodham is Director of the Design History Research Centre, University of Brighton, and review editor of
Journal of Design History. His publications include
Twentieth-Century Ornament: Decoration from 1900 to the Present.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. Towards the Twentieth Century
Chapter 2. Design and Modernism
Chapter 3. Commerce, Consumerism, and Design
Chapter 4. Design and National Identity
Chapter 5. The Second World War: Reconstruction and Affluence
Chapter 6. Multinational Corporations and Global Products
Chapter 7. Design Promotion, Profession, and Management
Chapter 8. Pop to Post-Modernism: Changing Values
Chapter 9. Nostalgia, Heritage, and Design
Chapter 10. Design and Social Responsibility
Notes
List of Illustrations
Bibliographic Essay
Timeline
Index
Oxford History of Art Series