Designing Women, Dialogues with Pioneering Women Designers (1850-1950)

John S. Elmo

Jun 2015 · FriesenPress

About this ebook

"Designing Women, Dialogues with Pioneering Women Designers (1850-1950)" is an imaginary series of conversations the author envisions among fourteen female legends of the interior and furniture design industry. As such, "Designing Women," evokes a slipstream genre-bending writing style. Set in the male dominated business climate of the 1850's to the 1950's, many of these female designers were never given proper credit for their work; the recognition was frequently accorded to their male counterparts and collaborators. "Designing Women," explores their background and uncovers their personalities, egos and the interpersonal dynamics involved in their professional life. The individual chapters are character studies of these unsung individuals. "Designing Women," is the third novel John has published with Friesen Press. The first, "Room for Enjoyment" (2012) details the construction of an estate and the inner workings of a New York City based interior design office in the 1970's; the second, "Beggars Island" (2014) chronicles guarding the Communist prisoners on Koje-Do island, Korea during the latter part of the Korean War. An earlier non-fiction, "All About Walls," a guide book on interior design, was published by Popular Library in 1969.