Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941) is chiefly remembered today as one of the leading domestic architects of the early twentieth century. Before his career was established, however, to supplement his income he started to design fabrics and wallpapers, and became as successful a designer as he was an architect. Although the themes and components of his decoration are typical of his time, Voysey's designs remain as distinctive as his houses. They are clear and authoritative, and show a sense of colour that was exceptional in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. The Royal Institute of British Architects drawings collection includes a large number of Voysey's designs, making it one of the most extensive archives for a designer of the time. The collection covers a period of over forty years, starting in 1887, and includes both commercial designs and others, more revealing about the designer himself. Stuart Durant's study of Voysey's work and selection of over sixty of his designs makes the gems of this collection available in print for the first time and presents an absorbing study of Voysey's working methods and artistic theories.
Voysey can now be seen as one of the major figures in British design history.
The Decorative Designs of C.F.A. Voysey : New Revised Edition: From the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Description
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Chronological Outline
Voysey and his Influences
Decorative Designs
List of Selected Surviving Buildings, Manufacturers and Retailers
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
Author Description
Stuart Durant is an Honorary Member of the Voysey Society - for whom he gave the second Annual Voysey Lecture. He was invited to write the first History of Design thesis at the Royal College of Art. He later taught Design and Architectural History at Kingston University, where he became Reader. He has also directed the Post Graduate course in Communication Design at Kingston. He was the originator of the International Design Yearbook, and he has published extensively on ornament and architecture. Stuart Durant's writings have been widely translated.