Douglas Congdon-Martin

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Arts & Crafts

The Arts & Crafts Movement had a profound effect on twentieth century design. It was a precursor to the minimalism of the day, yet imbued with a quiet eloquence based in careful, exquisite design. The natural materials, the subtlely organic forms began to shape living spaces across the country. In California, whose population was swelling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, so-called "Mission Furniture" seemed perfectly at home amidst the Spanish influenced architecture of the past and the bungalows that were beginning to line the streets. This new book is a survey of the influence of the Arts & Crafts Movement in the home. Drawn from an exhibit at the California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica, it covers everything from furniture to pottery, from lighting to books. Each item is illustrated in its setting, giving it a decorative context. In addition the items appear in individual full color photographs, showing its detail. Among the interesting collections is a group of chairs that virtually shows the evolution of the mission style. This book will delight and inform.