Ernest Race

One of the most innovative British furniture designers working in the post-war period Ernest Race (1913-1964) trained as an interior designer but is best known for his innovative furniture design. The Antelope chair designed for the 1951 Festival of Britain and the Penguin Donkey MKII for Isokon are amongst his best known creations. This book examines Race's contribution to mid-century British design. Race, like Robin Day and John & Sylvia Reid, produced iconic designs in the late 1940s and 1950s. His use of wire rod, cast aluminium and plywood has led to his work being compared to that of Charles Eames in the USA. This book seeks too examine Race's contribution to design in the context of the period in which he was working, and to understand what were the most important factors inspiring his designs. It thus looks at the influence of ideals, theories and economic elements as well as the forms of specific designs.