Dr Jo Gooding

Some introductions: Me, Dr Dresser and Harry

The Dorman Museum: HLF bid > New Acquisition AHRC project> Interviewing Harry> Teesside University > The Dresser Society launch

The New Gallery The Dresser community – museums, scholars, Collectors, Dealers

OBJECTS and stories they tell.

Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., Green Dining Room, V&A (1867)

Morris and Webb William DeMorgan

Charles Ashbee

Small workshops Nostalgia

Away from large-scale manufacture

William Morris “pleasure of work”

‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’

Raising Handicraft and the Decorative Arts to the same status as Fine Art – and Raising the status of the craftsperson.

Joy in labour - humans should enjoy work rather than being drones enslaved by machines.

Improving lives through good, well-made, affordable design.

1834-1904 First professional design consultant?

Worked for over 50 manufacturers

Government School of Design ( now RCA) from 1847 – aged 13.

Owen Jones - mentor

1876 - Studies in Design

Art of Decorative Design 1862

Principles of Design 1875

Design revolution, pioneer, father of industrial design?

Marianne Brandt teapot

Bauhaus - 1924

Dresser for Dixon - 1879

◦ 1999 Exhibition: Dresser: People's Designer, New Century Antiques

◦ 2004 Exhibition: Christopher Dresser : A Design Revolution V&A Cooper-Hewitt

◦ 2004-5 Exhibition: Christopher Dresser : Centenary Exhibition , Dorman Museum

◦ 2005 Book: Christopher Dresser the People’s Designer

◦ 2007 Exhibition: Into Africa – Dorman Museum

Harry Lyons’ flat, St Leonards on Sea

Louise Harrison, Dorman Museum Assistant Curator

198 objects, supplement the 1060-item Linthorpe collection

Metalware; Furniture; Ceramics; Glass; Wallpaper and textiles; other miscellaneous items

Hukin and Heath Cruet

1878

Thomas Knight c.1884

Wedgwood Fish vase c.1866.

Clutha Vase, c.1888-92

Library: Books, Journals, Exhibition Catalogues and pamphlets.◦ 216 items ◦ 90 primary sources ◦ Include: exhibition catalogues, trade journals

Research resources: Papers and Photographs◦ Notes arranged by topic◦ Primary newspaper articles◦ Photographic research images

Audio recordings; summary of conversation and full transcripts

Reputation of Dresser Role of museums, experts, academics Debates over attributions Future plans

Teesside University and Dorman Museum

Paul Denison ( Senior Lecturer in Design History) and Chris Dresser