Modern Design in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1890-1990: The Design Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Intended to showcase items not on permanent display, this volume chronicles the evolution of the design collection at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Design, also known as applied, industrial or decorative art, is defined here as work conceived by a designer and manufactured in a limited edition. Miller, curator of modern design at the Denver Art Museum, provides an informative, if dry, introductory text emphasizing key curatorial figures and important exhibitions in the Metropolitan's history. Significant art movements of the past 100 years are represented by examples of glass, ceramics, metalwork, lighting, textiles, costume, architectural and decorative drawings and furniture forms; more than half of the 360 illustrations of some 125 masterworks are in color. An armchair tour of the museum's collection, this overview provides a basic description of trends in the applied arts during the last century. (Dec.)