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Exhibitions from the Art & Architecture Collection

Victorian Ornament: Excerpts from Design History
Edna Barnes Salomon Room (Third Floor)
December 9, 1989 through March 10, 1990

The human desire to decorate objects dates back to prehistoric times. Ornament, a form of superimposed decoration, has therefore always been an important part of design history. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), British ornamental design had a wide impact on European and American decoration. This exhibition displays key texts and illustrations that reveal major developments in Victorian design theory and practice from London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Victorian ornament, derived from a profusion of historical sources, was used on every kind of object, including bookbindings, ceramics, clothing, furniture, metalwork, textiles, and wallpaper.

The following checklist is a selective bibliography of published works on Victorian ornament and design. The literature of design history is varied. Primary sources-works from the Victorian era-provides fascinating insights into nineteenth-century attitudes about ornamental art. The principal encyclopedias of ornament and important publications on Victorian design theory are noted. The checklist also refers to excellent art reference books on specific aspects of Victorian decorative art. In addition, suggestions for further reading include some important social histories that explore the changing fortunes of ornamental design.

Exhibition Brochure (PDF - 2 MB)