Century of the child : growing by design 1900 2000 ; [in conjunction with the exhibition Century of the child ... at the Museum of Modern Art New York July 29 November 5 2012] In 1900 Swedish design reformer and social theorist Ellen Key published The Century of the Child presaging the coming century as a period of intensified focus and progressive thinking around the rights development and well being of children. Taking inspiration from Key and looking back through the twentieth century this volume published to accompany an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art examines individual and collective visions for the material world of children from utopian dreams for the citizens of the future to the dark realities of political conflict and exploitation. Surveying more than 100 years of toys clothing playgrounds schools childrens hospitals nurseries furniture posters animation and books this richly illustrated catalogue illuminates how progressive design has enhanced the physical intellectual and emotional development of children and conversely how models of childrens play have informed experimental aesthetics and imaginative design thinking engendering in the process reappraisals of some of the iconic names in twentieth century design and enriching the unfolding narrative of modern design with other less familiar figures. Publisher information