René Herbst : pioneer of modernism ; [collection Archives of Twentieth Century Interior Architecture Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs Paris] A pioneer of Modernism in France in the early 1920s René Herbst who trained as an architect before moving on to interior decoration belongs to that select band of avant garde creatives who early on appreciated the aesthetic potential of industrial materials. Dubbed the man of steel due to his lengthy collaboration with the Office Technique pour lUtilisation de lAcier (OTUA) his furniture and refurbishments were to make substantial use of novel materials that he forged into a new language of form. A man of conviction and a founding member in 1929 of UAM (Union des Artistes Modernes) Herbst wanted everyone in all classes of society to benefit from home comforts that he saw as a crucial aspect in the development of the individual. In presenting the René Herbst Archives held at the Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs this book seeks to demonstrate how this highly committed designer who was instrumental in the emergence of a new lifestyle left an enduring mark on a period in which to be modern constituted a challenge. BOOK JACKET