NARRATOR: This riot of bottles, flasks, and vases–in glass, metal, and rainbow-colored ceramic¬–was created thanks in part to new technology that allowed for mass production. Suddenly, consumers had the freedom to choose among diverse colors and designs to suit their own, personal tastes. The abundance is also thanks to one man, possessing a unique combination of imagination and marketing savvy. Meet Christopher Dresser, one of the very first “industrial designers.”

Dresser’s approach to decorative arts was exuberant, as you can see. He embraced a range of historical styles from across the globe. In this case, are examples of his refined, simple aesthetic, inspired by the high-quality crafts he discovered on his travels to Japan. But in others, patterns and shapes reflect his appreciation for ornamentation, whether that of traditional Chinese, near Eastern, or Latin and South American art. And don’t forget his training as a botanist, inspiration you can spot in his use of forms found in nature—leaves, flowers, even the limbs of insects. Can you spot them here?

In the big picture, these objects reflect the impact of what’s known as "the design reform movement." This ideology favored the industrial revolution to produce consumer goods, not traditional artisans. What did this mean for the average person? A revolution not just in technology, but in choice. In the nineteenth century, the kind of shopping we do today was unimaginable: we have a massive range of access (Shop at a big box store? A small business? Online?) plus we get to choose from an enormous range of available price points. These options were born out of the work of Dresser and his peers: it was the first time that middle-class consumers were empowered to express their taste and personal style without breaking the bank.

A flamboyant figure of enormous influence, Dresser was very popular among his peers. Sadly, much of his output is lost to time, as all of his notes were lost in a fire in the 1950s.