Master's Thesis
College of Design
Arizona State University

August 2004

Excerpt:
During the 1980s, mid-century modern furniture was just beginning to be rediscovered. Its popularity increased slowly until, in the late 1990s, mid-century modern furniture experienced a remarkable revival — a revival that continues today. Evidence of the revival may be found in museum shows, interior design magazines, popular media, advertising, and the Internet. Increasing demand for vintage modern furniture has prompted manufacturers such as Herman Miller and Knoll to reissue several “modern classics.” In the context of post-war America, modern furniture represented new materials, new technology, new prosperity, and so forth. The question this recent revival raises, then, is: What does vintage modern furniture mean today?