Fred ward designer biography

When it comes to Australian post-war furniture design Fred Ward is perhaps one of the most iconic designers of the period. With a career spanning 60 years,
Ward was at the forefront of modernist design trends, designing furniture for the Myer Heritage range, Fler and countless large scale commissions for public institutions. 

Fred Ward: A Life in Design is considered to be the most comprehensive survey of Ward’s prolific design career and features a substantial collection of furniture designed by Ward, as well as original drawings and photographs.

Ward’s designs are often simple, but it is this simplicity that makes his work stand out amongst so many other designers of the period. A highlight for me was a chance to see some of his rare and early designs from the 1930’s, such as a beautiful modernist chest of drawers and a  lounge chair (pictured) from the ‘unit range’ featuring the original fabric by textile designer Michael O’Connell.

Many of the pieces on display were accompanied by Ward’s original design drawings which really helps the visitor to get a better understanding of the design process, but also the man behind the designs. I highly recommend checking out this important exhibition. This is serious eye candy for those who value craftsmanship and beautiful furniture.

Fred Ward: A Life in Design is a FREE exhibition showing at the Gallery of Australian Design in Canberra from 30 May, 2013 — 27 Jul, 2013. The exhibition coincides with the release of a new biography on Fred Ward, written by designer Derek Wrigley, who had collaborated with Ward in his later years in Canberra.

You can hear an interview with Derek Wrigley recorded in August 2013 for the ‘By Design’ program on ABC Radio National. For more information on Fred Ward check out the Fred Ward Archive Collection on the Powerhouse Museum website.

Fred Ward (1900-1990)

Fred Ward’s interior design career began at Melbourne’s Myer Emporium where he became their “interior design consultant” in 1935. He had previously designed furniture, cafes and Melbourne’s Hotel Australia cocktail bar and worked as a set designer for film. Pursuing a career in furniture design, amongst his significant contributions to the interior design profession was the establishment of Canberra’s Australian National University’s “Design Unit”, a group of professional interior designers and architects who directed the design development of the University from 1952 until his retirement in 1961. Ward’s “Design Unit” was fully engaged with university planning, landscape, furniture design and interior design. He was also a founding member of the Society of Designers for Industry (SDI).

Writers:

Michael Bogle

Date written:

2018

Last updated:

2018

For the Shakespearian actor, see Frederick Warde. For those of a similar name, see Frederick Ward (disambiguation).

Frederic Warde (July 29, 1894 – July 31, 1939) was a book designer, editor, and typography designer. One of the great book designers of the twentieth century, Will Ransom described him as "a curious blend of romantic idealism and meticulous practicality." In describing his own work, Warde stated, "The innermost soul of any literary creation can never be seen in all its clarity and truth until one views it through the medium of the printed page, in which there must be absolutely nothing to divide the attention, interrupt the thought, or to offend one's sense of form."

Biography

He was born Arthur Frederick Ward on July 29, 1894, in Wells, Minnesota, and changed his name to Frederic Warde in 1926.

In 1915 he enlisted in the United States Army, and attended the Army School of Military Aeronautics at the University of California, Berkeley during 1917-1918. He was a flying cadet.

On demobilisation in 1919 he worked as a book editor for Macmillan & Co, before undergoing training on the Monotype machine, after which he worked for the printers William Edwin Rudge from 1920 to 1922 under Bruce Rogers. From 1922 to 1924 Warde was Printer for Princeton University.

He had met Beatrice Becker in 1919, and they married in 1924 and left for Europe to study typography. Once in England, they met Charles Hobson of the Cloister Press in Manchester, and through him Stanley Morison, who offered Warde work designing and writing for The Fleuron and the Monotype Recorder. The marriage to Beatrice did not last, however, the couple separated in 1926, and soon divorced, though the break-up was an amicable one.

Afterwards Warde lived in France and Italy, where he became involved in Giovanni Mardersteig’s Officina Bodoni. Warde designed a revival of the chancery cursiv

Australian interior designer (1900–1990)

For Australian Bushranger Frederick Ward, see Captain Thunderbolt.

Frederick Charles Ward (1900–1990) was a furniture and interior designer in Australia. Ward worked with native wood in his long career.

His designs were installed in the creation of the Australian National University campus, where he also served as the first head of the design unit.

Ward was commissioned to design furniture for prominent public buildings, including the National Library, and the Australian pavilion at Expo '67, Montreal, Quebec.

He acted as a design consultant to the Reserve Bank in Sydney. He was consulted by the Department of Aircraft Production in production of timber-framed aircraft during WWII; this type of construction was used for the Beaufighter and the Mosquito Bomber.

Ward was one of the founders of the Society of Designers for Industry, which later became the Design Institute of Australia.

References