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The story of Libertys is the story of design. The brand has been an international byword for style and innovation since May 1875- when Arthur Lasenby Liberty opened the doors of his Regent Steet shop.The son of a draper- Arthur Liberty (1843-1917) was inspired by the conviction that if he could only raise the capital to open his own shop- he could change the whole look of fashion in dress and interior decoration. He did exactly that.With an impressive ability to spot talent and to promote good- innovative and interesting design- Libertys shop quickly became the epicentre of Londons Aesthetic movement- the place where Oscar Wilde bought Japanese silk. Succesive movements found a home at Libertys: Arts and Crafts; Art Nouveau; Art Deco; and the Georgian revival. The work of almost all the great designers of the past century in the fields of glass- metalwork- furniture- ceramics- fashion and- above all- textiles has appeared under the Liberty label.In this book Martin Wood tells the story of Libertys- its design and its designers: from the pewter and silverware of Archibald Knox and the Silver Studio and William DeMorgans tiles to the fabrics of Lucienne Day- Sonia Delaunay and Bernard Nevill and the furniture of Piero Fornasetti- Vico Magistretti and even Ringo Starr....