Donald-Brian Johnson is co-author of the books Deco Décor; Higgins: Poetry in Glass; Higgins: Adventures in Glass; Moss Lamps: Lighting the ‘50s; Whiting & Davis Purses: The Perfect Mesh; Popular Purses: It’s In The Bag!; Specs Appeal: Extravagant Eyewear of the 1950s and 1960s, and Ceramic Arts Studio: The Legacy of Betty Harrington. Additional titles include a four-volume series on the American Art Deco giftware and lighting lines of the Chase Brass & Copper Co: Chase Complete; 1930s Lighting: Deco & Traditional by Chase; The Chase Catalogs:1934 & 1935, and The Chase Era. His most recent book, Postwar Pop: Memorabilia of the Mid-Twentieth Century, is a collection of his syndicated columns. All are published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Mr. Johnson received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and Speech from Northwestern University. Prior to his career as an author, he worked in the Midwest as an award-winning theatre director, television/radio reporter, and advertising writer.
In addition to his books on mid-twentieth century decorative arts, Johnson has been a frequent seminar speaker for such groups as the Art Deco Society of New York, the Ceramic Arts Studio Collectors Association, the Whiting & Davis Co, and the Nebraska Speakers Bureau. His monthly column, “Smack Dab in the Middle: Design Trends of the Mid-20th Century,” is syndicated throughout the United States. A native of Chatfield, Minnesota, Mr. Johnson lives in Omaha, Nebraska.