Artek and the Aaltos

Artek and the Aaltos, published by Yale University Press, takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the history of Artek and designer couple Alvar and Aino Aalto. The internationally recognised Finnish company is best known for the wooden furniture designed by Aaltos, but their shared history also includes many other significant products – and most importantly, the idea that art and design are meant to improve everyday life.

This hardcover and enlarged reissue showcases the collaboration between Artek and Aaltos through more than 500 drawings and photographs, included are furniture, glassware, lighting, design sketches and textile designs. Some of the content is previously unpublished archive material, giving an unseen insight into the history of Artek and Aaltos together.

Best known for the production of Aalto’s famous bentwood furniture, Artek was a multifaceted design company that created numerous innovative products. This extensively illustrated book is based on an extraordinary range of newly discovered archival materials that shed new light on Artek’s history. It looks at the close working relationship between Alvar Aalto and Aino Marsio-Aalto, and the critical roles they played in its establishment and development internationally. Reissued in hard cover and with an enlarged trim size, greater prominence is given to the more than 500 drawings and photographs, including a selection never-before published.

Yale University Press is the publishing house of Yale University, specialising in academic and scientific publications. It was founded by George Parmly Day in 1908 and publishes now over 400 titles a year.