Twentieth-Century Design

by Jonathan M. Woodham

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192842046
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/08/1997
Series:	Oxford History of Art
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.38(w) x 6.78(h) x 0.69(d)

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

IntroductionChapter 1. Towards the Twentieth CenturyChapter 2. Design and ModernismChapter 3. Commerce, Consumerism, and DesignChapter 4. Design and National IdentityChapter 5. The Second World War: Reconstruction and AffluenceChapter 6. Multinational Corporations and Global ProductsChapter 7. Design Promotion, Profession, and ManagementChapter 8. Pop to Post-Modernism: Changing ValuesChapter 9. Nostalgia, Heritage, and DesignChapter 10. Design and Social ResponsibilityNotesList of IllustrationsBibliographic EssayTimelineIndexOxford History of Art Series

Editorial Reviews

"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 & Albert Museum

From the Publisher

One of the first six volumes of the new Oxford series, this is a useful and concise summary of 20th-century design in both the Western industrialized world and the Far East. Woodham (history of design, Univ. of Brighton) freely admits that some influences, such as multiculturalism, perestroika, and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, have been omitted in hopes that this will enhance future studies in these areas. The work reads like a global who's who of designers, architects, cultural and national design organizations, and corporate icons. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a component of design, such as modernism, consumerism, reconstruction after World War II, nostalgia and heritage, and social responsibility. The illustrations fit the text and reflect classic design examples. Woodham successfully highlights design as a powerful marketing tool that has captured the international consumer through culture, socioeconomics, politics, and technology. Highly recommended.Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tenn. State Univ. Lib., Johnson City

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