Often while researching furniture design, people do not know exactly which designer they are looking for, when the designer lived, in what country, or how most furniture historians describe the designer’s style. Bienenstock Furniture Library offers this reference to help you to find the design information you seek.
The name of each furniture design genius listed here – beginning with Thomas Chippendale – is attached to a distinct design viewpoint (style). The designer’s work and name are interlocked and referenced accordingly. (Frequently, individual pieces of furniture are also named after their designer.)
FURNITURE DESIGN GENIUS | TIMELINE – a chronological listing of iconic furniture designers whose work bests represents international style periods, as recognized by furniture historians and scholars
18th Century Golden Age ———-
THOMAS CHIPPENDALE, 1718-1779, England | http://www.thechippendalesociety.co.uk
JOHN GODDARD, 1723-1785, United States | http://www.christies.com/about/press-center/releases/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=4511
JOHN TOWNSEND, 1732-1805, United States | http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jtwn/hd_jtwn.htm
Neoclassical ———-
ROBERT ADAM, 1728-1792, England | http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r/robert-adam-neo-classical-architect/
THOMAS HOPE, 1769-1831, England (architect) | http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/thomas-hope/
GEORGE HEPPLEWHITE, 1727?-1786, England | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hepplewhite
DUNCAN PHYFE, 1768-1854, Scotland, United States | http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/CoverStory/2012-01-03__15-11-46.html
THOMAS SHERATON, 1751-1806, England | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sheraton
Victorian ———-
JOHN HENRY BELTER, 1804-1863, Germany, United States | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60163/John-Henry-Belter
LAMBERT HITCHCOCK, 1795-1852, United States | http://connecticuthistory.org/built-on-innovation-saved-by-nostalgia-the-hitchcock-chair-company/
MICHAEL THONET, 1796-1871, Germany, Austria | http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/thonet-and-sons/
Arts & Crafts ———-
WILLIAM MORRIS, 1834-1896, England | http://www.morrissociety.org/index.html
GUSTAV STICKLEY, 1857-1942, United States | http://stickleymuseum.org/
Modern ———-
CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH, 1865-1933, Scotland | http://www.crmsociety.com/
GERRIT RIETVELD, 1888-1964, Netherlands | http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4922
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, 1867-1959, United States | http://www.franklloydwright.org/
Art Nouveau and Art Deco ———-
PAUL FRANKL, 1887-1958, Austria, United States | http://www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/franklp.htm
EMILE GALLE, 1846-1904, France | http://www.emilegallefurniture.com/
EILEEN GRAY, 1878-1976, England | http://designmuseum.org/design/eileen-gray
JACQUES-EMILE RUHLMANN, 1879-1933, France | http://www.ruhlmann.info/ruhlmann.php/t,E.J.Ruhlmann
European Modernism ———-
MARCEL BREUER, 1902-1981, Hungary | http://www.marcelbreuer.org/Biography.html
LE CORBUSIER, 1887-1965, Switzerland | http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE, 1886-1969, Germany, United States | http://www.miessociety.org
Postwar Modern ———-
ALVAR AALTO, 1898-1978, Finland | http://www.aalto.com/about-alvar-aalto.html
HENRY BERTOIA, 1915-1978, Italy, United States | http://www.harrybertoia.org
CHARLES EAMES, 1907-1978, & RAY EAMES, 1912-1988, United States | http://designmuseum.org/design/charles-ray-eames
ARNE JACOBSEN, 1902-1971, Denmark | http://www.arne-jacobsen.com/en/arne-jacobsen
FINN JUHL, 1912-1989, Denmark | http://www.finnjuhl.com/
VLADIMIR KAGAN, 1927-, Germany, United States | http://www.vladimirkagan.com/
GEORGE NAKASHIMA, 1905-1990, Japan, United States | http://www.nakashimawoodworker.com
GEORGE NELSON, 1908-1986, United States | http://www.georgenelson.org
VERNER PANTON, 1926-1998, Denmark, Switzerland | http://www.verner-panton.com/person/
GIO PONTI, 1897-1979, Italy | http://designmuseum.org/design/gio-ponti
EERO SAARINEN, 1910-1961, Finland, United States | http://www.eerosaarinen.net/
HANS WEGNER, 1914-2007, Denmark | http://www.scandinaviandesign.com/hans_wegner/
Modernism ———-
FRANK O. GEHRY, 1930-, Canada | http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/geh0bio-1
PHILIPPE STARCK, 1949-, France | http://www.starck.com/
Post Modern and Contemporary ———-
RON ARAD, 1951-, Israel | http://www.ronarad.co.uk/design-studio/
TOM DIXON, 1959-, Tunisia | http://www.tomdixon.net/products/us/furniture-and-accessories
MARC NEWSON, 1963-, United States | http://www.marc-newson.com/ProjectCategorys.aspx?GroupSelected=0&Category=Unique%20Pieces
ROBERT VENTURI, 1925-, United States | http://venturiscottbrown.org/bibliography/
Bienenstock Furniture Library holds the world’s largest collection of rare books on furniture and design – open & free to the public. To research these design masters and their works further, we invite you to visit the Library in High Point NC. You may also search our database of rare furniture and design-specific books online here.
