Frank Bros (Paperback) - Cara Mullio

This unique publication documents the history of a store that changed the way Americans responded to their domestic environment. Frank Bros not only promoted a re-envisioned post-war lifestyle, but also educated the public on the precepts of good design. Including archival material, ephemera, essays and interviews.

Frank Bros was at the forefront of modern furniture sales in the United States during the middle of the twentieth century, serving as the primary retailer for some of the most recognisable names in mid-century design including Alvar Aalto, Charles and Ray Eames, Van Keppel Green and Bruno Matthsson, amongst many others. As the interior designers for over half of the Case Study Houses, Frank Bros helped define a branch of modernism unique to Southern California.This unique publication documents the history of a store that changed the way Americans responded to their domestic environment. Using pioneering methodologies and practices such as in-house exhibitions, eye-catching graphic design and a specialised sales force, Frank Bros not only promoted a re-envisioned post-war lifestyle, but also educated the public on the precepts of good design. Frank Bros: The Store That Modernised Modern comprises archival material, ephemera, essays and interviews providing a rich complexion of the influence that one store in Long Beach had across an entire country.

About the Author

Jennifer M. Volland is an independent writer and curator based in Long Beach, California. She conceived and co-curated the exhibition and publication for the Vancouver Art Gallery. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, CITY, Environmental Graphics Magazine, Sunset, Arcade journal for architecture and design, and Western Interiors and Design, among other print and online publications. Cara Mullio is an independent writer based in Long Beach, California.