Introduction

This introduction states that interior design is a recognized profession today and asks how this occurred. Along with the many architects, cabinet makers, furniture upholsterers, design writers, and furniture salesmen who created the field, a group of women interior decorators from the late 1800s and early 1900s helped establish and grow the profession. These women are underrepresented in the historical record, and this book aims to tell their stories within the context of the history of design and architecture while considering that almost all of the design professionals featured in the book are white due to the discrimination, segregation, and racial bias of the period.