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Marian Mahler: both famous and mysterious
Marian Mahler (1909-1982) was born in Wies, Austria and settled in the UK in 1937. She studied at the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Arts and Crafts) as well as architecture, with Josef Hoffmann, from late 1928 until early 1933. His friendship with Alistair Morton of Edinburgh Weavers led to her first designs for a UK company, in 1939, with other influential British manufacturers following suit. Postwar she became a respected and prolific designer, producing book covers, textiles, wallpaper and other graphic products, most notably for David Whitehead, contracted to this Lancashire firm until c.1970. However, she is only well-known as a 1950s’ “star” and much of her work and life is difficult to pin down. This lecture by eminent design historian Mary Schoeser aims both to introduce her life and career to a wider audience, and to reassess her position and influence within the world of British professional designers.
Mary Schoeser FSRA is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the V&A, and Patron of both the Bernat Klein Foundation and the School of Textiles, Coggeshall. She is a writer, curator, archivist and lecturer who has specialised in textiles and wallpaper for 46 years.
