Artist Info
Marianne Straub
Straub studied at the Zurich Kunstsgewerbeschule, Bradford Technical College and in Ethel Mairet's workshop, Gospels. She then worked as a woven fabrics designer from 1934 to 1937 for the seventy-two Welsh woollen mills supported by the Rural Industries Bureau.
She became the head designer of Helios, an independent subsidiary of Barlow & Jones Ltd, Lancashire, from 1937 to 1950, and managing director from 1947 to 1950.
From 1950 to 1970 she was a designer for Warner & Sons Ltd, in Braintree.
With a wide knowledge of the materials, machines and markets for which she designed, she remained relatively anonymous as a designer until late in her life, being better known for her extensive teaching from 1956 to 1992. This began at the Central School, where she taught from 1956 to 1964, having been persuaded to do so by the presence of Dora Batty whom she knew through the latter's design work for Barlow & Jones and Helios.
1956-1964 Central School of Arts & Crafts/Art & Design
1965-1967 Hornsey College of Art
1968-1974 Royal College of Art
1972 Royal Designer for Industry (RDI)
1993 Sir Mischa Black medal.
Straub was fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (SIAD)