Christian Dell (1893–1974), silversmith, Bauhaus master craftsman, and head of the metal workshop of the Frankfurter Kunstschule [Frankfurt Art School], is one of the lesser-known designers of the 20th century. Yet his diverse oeuvre and his impact on design—from the 1930s to the present—deserves to be reappraised. This publication provides a first comprehensive overview of Dell’s work and career, including his training in Hanau, teaching in Weimar and Frankfurt am Main, and contacts to the lighting industry. One of Dell’s iconic lamp designs is the KAISER idell(TM), an office lamp which is back in production today. Moreover, he was an inspiration to numerous students, whose works are introduced here in more detail. Conceptual sketches, series products, and exquisite individual objects in a wide range of materials are also presented—for Dell’s early work with new types of plastic would go on to inform consumer tastes for decades to come. An exciting monograph on a significant, visionary, and hitherto unrecognized designer of the 20th century.
