WRITTEN by US dealer and auctioner John Rollo, this book is about MODERN and the collecting of it, and in particular of furniture. As the introduction wildly enthuses on Modern ... “the unshackling of the human spirit...the manifestation of humankind’s belief and hope for the future” and more prosaically “that the collecting of Modern is still in an early stage...work hidden in garages and basements, forgotten by time and history”. Not any more, I’ll bet.
Collectors in Los Angeles prefer the work of designers such as Schindler, Neutra and Bertram Sherman, while New Yorkers gravitate towards the designers of High Style furniture – Samuel Marx, Tommy Parzinger and Edward Wormley. As with all Miller’s books, there is a short piece on starting a collection with that teeth-grindingly irritating “Happy hunting!” send-off and there are the usual FFs, Fact Files.
Styles of modern furniture are covered and there’s a trawl through some of the big names and estimates for prices to pay for the best in furniture design, including Alvar Aalto and Eames to post-modernists Arad and Sottsass. Another one for the furniture reference shelves of interior decorators.
Young Americans
American Insider’s Guide to Twentieth-Century Furniture by John and Nan Sollo published by Miller’s. ISBN 1840003790 £17.99hb
