Studio Magazine

Studio Magazine was a heavily illustrated fine and decorative arts magazine published in London between the years 1893- 1964. Its full title was The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art and its founder and first editor was Charles Holmes himself a wealthy art connoisseur who travelled widely in Europe and the Far East. In a short time, it established itself as one of the most successful fine art periodicals in the English-speaking world featuring many prominent artists of the day. These included the work of Aubrey Beardsley who design several covers for Holmes and architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Voysey. In the years after World War I the magazine championed Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts Movement and Cubism yet to find a footing in Great Britain at the time. 'Special Numbers' were soon added, leading in due course to an exceptional output including separate annuals such as the Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art* and 'Modern Publicity' (1924-60). Sadly during World War II the magazine's London offices were hit by enemy bombing and much valuable archive material was lost forever. In 1964, it was absorbed by Studio International which itself is still running and in 2000 became one of the first art journals to embrace the Internet as an e-journal.

The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art was originally published in 1906. It retained this title until 1926 (with the exception of one year, 1921 when it was called 'The Studio Yearbook of Applied Art'. The title was then changed again to 'Decorative Art', the name used until 1962 when it became 'Decorative Art and Modern Interiors'. Between 1974 and 1980, when it ceased publication, it was called 'Decorative Art in Modern Interiors'. The first issue of the Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art focused exclusively on the work on the work of contemporary British designers within the applied artists. It included sections on the interior decoration, furniture, fire-grates and mantelpieces, wall and ceiling decorations, stained glass, artificial lighting, door furniture and other fittings, textile fabrics, embroidery, porcelain and earthenware, metal and glass tableware, and garden furniture. The 1907 issue, while still concentrating primarily on the work of British designers, also included examples of German and Austrian design and in 1908 French design was included. From then onwards, 'The Studio Yearbook' became international in its coverage. It also began including signed articles by many of the leading names in design. Over the years, these were to include Le Corbusier, C.F.A. Voysey, M.H. Baillie Scott, Frank Brangwyn, etc. For a period of seventy-six years, it was the leading annual review of contemporary design and featured work by most of the leading applied artists of the day.