Retro may be cool, but why are we now in the middle of a love affair with objects and designs from the mid-twentieth century? What unique qualities do they share that make them so special now?

Using one of the most spectacular displays of retro objects ever assembled, and covering all the bases - furniture, fashion, ceramics, technology, metal, graphics, plastic and glass - twentieth-century expert Adrian Franklin provides the answers.

Spanning the period from the 1950s to the 1980s and beyond, and with international coverage, the book identifies the designers, manufacturers, brands, innovations, technologies and materials that transformed the world during the period of mid-century modern and still cast their magic spell.

Authoritative, entertaining and beautiful, Retro is itself an object to be treasured.