Although Samuel Abraham Marx was born at the end of the nineteenth century, he had the eye of a modernist.

By Liz O’Brien

Although Samuel Abraham Marx was born at the end of the nineteenth century, he had the eye of a modernist — as an architect, furniture designer, connoisseur, and collector. His vision was neither ostentatious nor grandiose, but subtle and quietly magnificent. Ultramodern Samuel Marx: Architect, Designer, Art Collector  is the first monograph on this lesser-known but increasingly influential American designer. In more than 200 photographs, Marx expert and decorative arts dealer, Liz O’Brien, reveals many of his undiscovered projects, including houses that have been razed despite preservationist protests, as well as his range of furniture designs. Throughout his career, Marx was sought after for his ability to integrate art in well-heeled interiors. The private art collections of many of his wealthy clients have, in the last 40 years, been dispersed to major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Liz O'Brien is a decorative arts dealer specializing in modern design. Her interest in Marx began more than ten years ago when she first showed his furniture designs in her New York gallery, making some of his best pieces available to interior designers and collectors. O'Brien is now recognized as a leading Marx expert and has been instrumental in placing him as an important figure in the history of twentieth-century architecture and design.

“Rooms designed by Samuel A. Marx have so satisfying a feeling of oneness that it’s frequently hard to say where the architecture ends and the furniture begins.” —House Beautiful

Hardcover with jacket

216 Pages / 11” X 12”

ISBN: 978-0-983388-94-4

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