DRESSER, CHRISTOPHER

born July 4, 1834, Glasgow, Scot. died Nov. 24, 1904, Mulhouse, Fr. British designer, one of the first professional industrial designers and a leader in the 19th-century vogue for Japanese-influenced design. Dresser studied for two years at the School of Design at Somerset House, London, and then taught botany. After publication of his Unity in Variety (1859), he became a fellow of the Linnean Society. His Art of Decorative Design (1862) appeared just before he began work as a designer. He visited Japan as a representative of the British government in 1876 and thereafter adapted Japanese motifs and design principles for his own uses. Dresser's work was strongly influenced by his scientific outlook, which some authorities claim led to overtheorization and reduced the aesthetic interest of his designs. His work, however, showed a genuine understanding of materials, especially metal and glass. Other works by Dresser include The Development of Ornamental Art in the International Exhibition (1862) and Japan, Its Architecture, Art and Art Manufactures (1882).