LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced the publication of A Handbook of California Design, 1930–1965: Craftspeople, Designers, Manufacturers, a book which documents the lives and work of more than 140 of the most significant mid-twentieth-century figures in California design. Profiling such celebrated designers as Charles and Ray Eames and Saul Bass, as well as many lesser-known yet influential practitioners, the book will become an indispensable reference for scholars, students, collectors, and all those interested in modern design.

A companion to the acclaimed catalogue for the exhibition California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way,” this book contains extensive new research and dozens of rare photographs. It represents LACMA’s continuing commitment to preserve the state’s design history and emerged from the realization that years of research could not be contained in a single exhibition volume; there was too much important information about these great designers—and their designs too great—not to publish their biographies for future study. Each entry comprises a succinct biography, a portrait of the designer or image of an important design, cross-references to other entries, and sources for further research. The book also features an infographic demonstrating the connections and collaborations among the designers, an extended reading list, and several images of the exhibition installation presented at LACMA October 1, 2011–June 3, 2012. Starting this spring, the exhibition embarks on a multi-venue international tour, with presentations at National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (March 20–June 3, 2013); Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand (July 7–September 29, 2013); Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Australia (November 2, 2013-February 9, 2014); and the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA (March 29-July 6, 2014).

Created by internationally renowned graphic designer Irma Boom, the book is a beautifully conceived and crafted object in its own right, and Boom’s boldly contemporary design reflects the spirit of the mid-century era. The book is edited by Bobbye Tigerman, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at LACMA, with biographies by Jennifer Munro Miller, Lacy Simkowitz, Staci Steinberger, and Bobbye Tigerman, and content editing by Wendy Kaplan. It is co-published by LACMA and MIT Press.