 Dr Christopher Dresser was born in Glasgow, a botanist who became the most famous and celebrated designer to emerge from the late Victorian Period within the industrial revolution, his most famous quote is :- 'In Pursuit of Truth, Beauty and Power'. He, without a doubt brought beauty, function and design to the masses and worked with mechanisation designing beautiful objects that could be mass produced with all his inspiration drawn from nature. He designed Cast iron work for Coalbrookedale, Furniture (although extremely rare), Glass, Pottery, Silver and Silver Plate, Brass and Copper wares, Fabrics, Lino's, Tiles and had his own design studio employing many designer's including Moyar Smith whose work he oversaw, in the 1880's he was the most successful designer in the country. 1834 He was born in Glasgow, Scotland. 1847 He attends the Government School of Design at Somerset House London where he is awarded a scholarship and won many design medals. 1854 He marries Thirza Perry of Maidley and becomes a lecturer in botany at the Government School of Design. 1856 He draws plate XCVIII, 'The Geometric Arrangement of Flowers' to Owen Jones’s book The Grammar of Ornament. 1859 He is awarded a doctorate from the University of Jena for his contribution to botanical science. 1860 He sets up his first design studio. 1862 He publishes his book 'The Art of Decorative Design' and also in 1862 he exhibits at 'The London International Exhibition'. 1869 He moves to a large house in Camden Hill, London, called 'Tower Cressy'. 1873 He writes a series of articles 'The Principles of Decorative Design' for Cassell’s, 'The Technical Educator'. 1874-1876 He compiles 'Studies in Design in 20 parts' to educate people so they may gain a better style of decoration in their homes. 1876 He travels to Japan to deliver a gift of British design to the newly opened National Museum in Tokyo and collects works of art for his own inspiration and for Louis Comfort Tiffany. 1880 He is appointed art manager of the Art Furnishers’ Alliance on Bond Street, London and he was also art editor of 'The Furniture Gazette' until 1881. 1882 He designs the furniture and interiors for Bushloe House, Wigston Magna, near Leicester, for his own lawyer, H. B. Owston and he Publishes 'Japan Its Architecture, Art and Art Manufactures'. 1883 The Art Furnishers’ Alliance goes into liquidation of which Arthur Lasenby Liberty was a share holder and Dresser moves to Sutton London. 1886 He publishes 'Modern Ornamentation' with work by his assistants and students. 1889 He moves to Elm Bank in Barnes. 1904 While on a business trip to France with his son Louis, Christopher Dresser dies in Mulhouse. Researched and written by Tony Geering. |