The ultimate style guide to 20th century dining and social history in the West.

This is a style guide to 20th century dining and social history in the West, as reflected in popular recipes and types of foods, what people used in the way of cutlery, tableware and table settings, and trends relating to styles of dining - such as picnics and smorgasbords.

This book is divided into decades and describes particular political and social events that influenced the food and dining styles popular in that period. Topics include glassware, cutlery, crockery and to some extent furniture and textiles, and there is also information about companies and designers who were in vogue, and interesting magazine and newspaper advertisements from the time.

Acting both as a glossy historical overview of the time and as a reference book to design icons of the period, this book provides a fascinating and unique angle on social history, combined with a slice of 'retro' nostalgia. International in scope, it is filled with hundreds of colourful images, making it an inspirational and informative guide for social historians, students, collectors or anyone interested in western design.

Anne Ferguson graduated in Printed Textiles from Glasgow School of Art, where she subsequently taught for over 20 years. Colour and pattern have been key elements in her textile work throughout her teaching career and design practice. Anne has been working in stained glass since 2003, running glass workshops all over Scotland, including Orkney and the Western Isles.

Carol Paterson studied at the Glasgow School of Art in the 1960s and taught in the Textile Department for 37 years. She dealt in glass with fellow graduate Anne Ferguson in their company ACD Glass and ran businesses relative to 20th-century collectibles and party catering.