The Secular Furniture of E.W. Godwin

Book excerpt: "Victorian architect designer E.W. Godwin (1833-86), tying himself neither morally nor aesthetically to a single style, approached design with what he called "judicious eclecticism." Seeking to design furniture appropriate to the needs of modern living, he grappled with the problems of affordability, utility, and function and experimented with modular and fitted furniture decades before it became popular in the mid-twentieth century. This book is the first comprehensive study of Godwin's furniture designs. Taking the form of a catalogue raisonne, the book documents and reproduces all known examples of his secular furniture and related furniture designs."--Jacket.