Designers - International
• Architonic
http://www.architonic.com/mus/des/
A commercial site. Contains basic biographical information
on in excess of 1,000 designers with examples of their work
together with auction records.
• Design at the Design Museum
http://designmuseum.org/designersProduced by the Design Museum, London. Profiles of core names in 20th century design.
• AKAR
http://www.akardesign.com/creators/designers.asp
A commercial site compiled by AKAR Gallary in Iowa City, Iowa. Contains profiles of modern designers. Includes photographs of their work.
• R Gallery
http://www.r20thcentury.com/biographies.cfm
Compiled
by R Gallery in New York City. Contains profiles of c.150
modern designers "whose work we consistently find to
be among the most innovative, iconic and finely crafted
of their time. We have chosen to focus more closely on these
designers as the core of our collection and our exhibition
and publication program".
•
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
http://www.moma.org/collection/artists?locale=en
An inventory of the many thousands of international artists,
designers and photographers whose work is included in the
permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New
York City. Each entry contains details of work(s) in the
collection and basic biographical information, i.e. dates
of birth and death.
Designers - Women: International
• Clara Database of Women Artists
Compiled
by the National Museum of Women in the Arts Library and
Research Center in Washington, DC. Contains biographical
data on some 18,000 women visual artists [including architects,
designers, and craftswomen] of all time periods and nationalities.
The amount information varies; usually includes date of
birth/death, nationality and medium(s) in which they worked.
• FemBio
http://www.fembio.org/english/biography.php/woman/notable-women
A well-structured, easy-to-use German-based database. It currently [2010] contains records on over 7,600 women working in all fields, countries and periods. Search in Occupation box for terms such as artist, designer, architect. Some of the entries are very comprehensive. See, for example, Ray Eames. Text is in English and German.
Designers - Australia
• Design & Art Australia Online
Compiled
by the DAAO based in at the College of Fine Arts in Paddiington,
New South Wales. DAAO currently [2010] contains data on
approximately 8,000 artists and designers who have worked,
or are working, in all fields, media and periods in Australia.
Designers - Austria
• Galerie bei der Albertina
http://www.galerie-albertina.at/en/artists.html
The Galerie bei der Albertina is a private gallery founded by Christa Zetter in 1973. It is located close to the Albertina Museum in Vienna. The gallery specializes in 20th century Austrian painting, sculpture and design. The site contains profiles of approximately 120 artists and designers with examples of their work.
Designers - Canada
• Royal Canadian Academy of Arts / Académie Royale des Arts du Canada
http://web.archive.org/web/20131012024624/http://www.rca-arc.ca/en/about_members/since1880.asp
Contains profiles of the c.700 members of the RCA. Includes artists working in 20 visual arts disciplines, e.g. painting, sculpture, architecture, architecture, photography, craft, and filmmaking. The original page no longer exists, although the link was archived on the Wayback web archive which we've linked to above.
Designers - Denmark
• Kunstindeks Danmark and Weilbacks Kunstnerleksikon
http://www.kulturarv.dk/kid/SoegKunstneroversigt.do
A biographical dictionary Danish painters, sculptors, designers, craftspeople and architects. The data was compiled from Kunstindeks Danmark, the central register of artworks owned by Danish state-owned and state-subsidised museums, run by the Danish National Cultural Heritage Agency supplemented by information from the 1994 edition of Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon. Contains data on over 8,000 names. [Text in Danish].
Designers
- Hungary
• Artportal.hu
http://artportal.hu/lexikon/muveszek/
Compiled
by artportal.hu. Contains profiles of many thousands of
Hungarian artists active in all media since c.1900. Text
in Hungarian. Entries translate into English quite well
using the Google translation service.
• Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon 1000–1990
http://mek.niif.hu/00300/00355/html/index.html
One of the best online sources on Hungarian artists and designers. [Text in Hungarian].
• Fine Arts in Hungary
http://www.hung-art.hu/frames-e.html?/english/
Not so comprehensive as the above source, but contains profiles in English [click ABC INDEX to search].
Designers - Israel
• Israeli Art Center
http://web.archive.org/web/20120829103609/http://www.imj.org.il/artcenter/
Produced by Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Includes Profiles of varying lengths nearly 6,000 Israeli artists in all fields. The original page no longer exists, although the link was archived on the Wayback web archive which we've linked to above.
Designers - Ireland
• Institute of Designers in Ireland
http://www.idi-design.ie/directory/index.php?member=A-F
A list of members of the Institute of Designers (IDI) in Dublin, with links to their Web sites. The institute is a professional body representing the interests of professional designers in Ireland. It was established in 1972.
Designers - Italy
• Designer Le firme piu' prestigiose del design italiano
http://www.italianidea.it/doc/default_pian_e.asp?url=../cgi-bin/argomenti.asp?id_arg=11
Compiled by Italian Idea. Contains profiles of over 60 leading Italian. [Text in Italian].
Designers - Netherlands
• Kunstbus
Compiled by Guus Jurcka and Jacobine Feekes. The site is essentially a general online arts encyclopedia. It contains many entries on Dutch art and design. The text is in Dutch, however, the entries translate very well into English using the Google translation service.
•
Share
http://web.archive.org/web/20120721061205/http://www.sharedutchdesign.nl/hollandindex.htm
A portal for Dutch design. Contains links to the Web sites of Dutch product designers, ceramists, glass designers, textile designers, jewellery designers, accessory designers, and architects. Text in English. The site also contains links to the Web sites of Dutch design and architecture schools, design organizations, manufacturers, etc. The original page no longer exists, although the link was archived on the Wayback web archive which we've linked to above.
Designers - New Zealand
• Dictionary of New Zealand National Biography
Contains over 3,000 biographies of deceased New Zealanders who have "made their mark" on the country, includes bookplate designers, calligraphers, cartoonists, carvers, commercial artists, craftsmen and craftswomen, embroiders, engravers, fabric printers, film-makers, graphic designers, illustrators, jewellery designers, painters [listed as artists], photographers, potters, scenic artists, sculptors, silversmiths, spinners, stained glass artists, stamp, coin and medal designers, tapestry makers, typographers, war artists, weavers.
• Design Review
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-134467.html
Full text of 'Design Review', a journal published intermittently by the Architectural Centre Inc. in Wellington, New Zealand between April 1948-Apil 1954. Very easy to search. Contains cross-references and Internet links to biographical sources on architects and designers discussed in the journal.
Designers - Sweden
• konstnärslexikonett amanda.
http://www.lexikonettamanda.se
Profiles of many hundreds (if not thousands) of Swedish artists and designers. [Text in Swedish].
Designers - Scandinavia
• Scandinavian design.com - Personalities
http://www.scandinaviandesign.com/personalities/index.htm
Compiled by Scandinavian design.com. Currently [2010] contains profiles of 135 leading Scandinavian designers, past and present. This site also contains information on Scandinavian design schools, museums, companies, design journals, news and events, etc.
Designers - Switzerland
• SIK ISEA
http://www.sikart.ch/KuenstlerInnen.aspx
Compiled and maintained by the Swiss Institute for Art Research. Includes basic biographical information on Swiss architects, artists and designers. For further information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIKART [Text in German and French].
Designers - UK
• Art Workers Guild - Current Members
http://www.artworkersguild.org/members/
Contains contact details, e.g. links to Web sites of current members of the Art Workers Guild in London, listed by specialism, e.g. architect, archivist, art historian, blacksmith, bookbinder, calligrapher, cartoonist, decorative artist, design historian, filmmaker, furniture designer, glass artist, graphic designer, illustrator, interior designer, jewellery designer, landscape architect, medalist, mural artist, painter, potter, quiltmaker, sculptor, stained glass artist, television designer, typographer, weaver and wood engraver.
• Art Workers Guild - Past Members
http://www.artworkersguild.org/downloads/AWGpastm.pdf
Past members Art Workers Guild in London 1884-1984, listed by specialism [see above]. Contains details of when they were a member and their dates.
• Society of Designer Craftsmen
http://www.societyofdesignercraftsmen.org.uk/members.php?c=members
A list of members of the Society of Designer Craftsmen [prior to 1960 known as the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society] with is some cases examples of their work and links to their web site.
Designers - USA
• Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art Oral History Project.
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/
The Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art Oral History Project originated in 1958 and now includes interviews with many hundreds if not thousands of US artists, designers, craftspeople, photographers, arts administrators and educators. Transcripts of many of these interviews are now available online.
Designers - USA - Maryland
• Maryland ArtSource
http://web.archive.org/web/20041021094411/http://marylandartsource.net/index.html
Compiled by Maryland ArtSource/The Baltimore Art Research & Outreach Consortium. Contains profiles of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the cultural history of the State of Maryland. Artists can be viewed by medium/discipline and name. The categories include Architecture, Crafts, Decorative Arts, Design, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Works on Paper.