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Library Journal Review

These two volumes reprint edited versions (from the Sixties and Seventies) of Decorative Art in Modern Interiors, which was originally published as the yearbook of the British journal Studio Magazine. As the editors point out, since its founding in 1893, the magazine was one of the first publications to promote good design by showcasing practitioners such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Charles Voysey. It continued its mission of presenting the latest in international design until the 1980s, when it folded. The two books are divided into chapters that cover the best of architecture, interior design, furniture, textiles, wallpaper, glassware, lighting, silver, and ceramics. They are illustrated with hundreds of photographs, and in some cases floor plans and elevations for buildings are included as well. While little or no information is given regarding the designers, architects, or firms responsible for the work, and indexing is not as comprehensive as it could be, for those looking for examples of how we lived in the "Swinging Sixties" (shag carpeting and all) and subsequent design trends of the 1970s, this is the place to look. For larger decorative art collections and academic libraries supporting design courses.Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.