Wilson (Clark Univ.) examines the ways Americans received modernist design as a "tool" for whiteness in the post–WW II period. Modernism came with new domesticity and was quickly absorbed into the postwar housing of suburbia. Wilson provides carefully considered analysis of architecture of the times and in-depth study of furniture and decorative accessories as symbolic of modernistic cultural associations for Blacks and whites. A lengthy comparison of Life and Ebony magazines uses good pictures from the time in which modernism had quite different meanings for men and women and for Black and white Americans. The Herman Miller furniture company is frequently referenced in terms of race and gender. Wilson provides many good images of mid-century modern interiors, furniture, objects, advertisements, and architecture, making this an excellent pictorial survey. Careful examinations of pictures, texts, and objects offer insights. A useful reference for culture of the period, this book will be valuable to sociologists, students of African American and gender studies, and, of course, art historians. Includes extensive comprehensive notes as well as a bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.

--W. L. Whitwell, formerly, Hollins College

William L. Whitwell

formerly, Hollins College

Wilson's (art history, Clark Univ.) deep knowledge of and scholarship in modern design are evident in this book's precisely articulated argument, that in the late 1940s to 1950s mid-century modernism was constructed differently in Black and in white markets for decorative arts. In four chapters, using compelling visual evidence from books, catalogues, and advertising, Wilson analyzes the advice provided in domestic manuals of the postwar period, compares representations of modernism in popular magazines (e.g., Life versus Ebony), and dissects the home furnishings produced by Herman Miller, as well as the decorative accessories designed to accent those pieces in modernist homes. Scholars of the history of modern design have largely ignored race until now. Wilson's archival research and careful interrogation of relevant texts and images compels readers to see the powerful messages embedded in marketing materials in a fresh way. VERDICT With its scholarly style and specialized focus, this text is suitable for an academic audience. Wilson meticulously applies the critical method to the marketing of an influential and persistent style, making this book essential reading for students of sociology as well as design.—Nancy B. Turner, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia