Edgar Brandt

by Joan Kahr

Edgar Brandt: Master of Art Deco Ironwork is the first book to document the life and work of the premier metalsmith of the twentieth century. A member of a group of extraordinary artist-craftsmen that included Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean Puiforcat, and Jean Dunand, among others, Edgar Brandt (1880-1960) was a leading force during a period of great achievement in French decorative arts and design, creating an entirely new aesthetic for the medium of wrought iron. Joan Kahr, the leading authority on Brandt, draws on extensive interviews with Brandt's family and former colleagues as well as period accounts culled from the art and design press of the day. She explores Brandt's multifaceted career as a talented artist, pioneering ironsmith, influential designer, and successful entrepreneur, detailing how he fused traditional hand forging with industrial methods and new technology - such as oxy-acetylene welding, power hammering, and die stamping - to make the incomparable objects in his re