This week's links. Enjoy.
Icons of an Era: Classic Chair Designs
Fun slide show on Phaidon's Agenda blog of iconic chair designs, from Thornet's influential 'bentwood chair', No. 14 (1859), to Chair_One (2003), by Konstantin Grcic, the world's first die-cast aluminum chair-shell.
Museum Postcards
A fascinating short movie/installation by artist Oliver Michaels, where museum postcards alternately intone, grumble, observe — or offer directions. Via things magazine.
Books of the Year
The Guardian asked some very distinguished writers (AS Byatt, Julian Barnes, Richard Ford, Roddy Doyle and Jeanette Winterson among them) which books they most enjoyed this year. Great ideas for holiday reading.
Why I Feed My Guests Canadian Food
A Canadian expat writes amusingly about how, after years of living in Paris, she realized that her French guests found Canadian food much more exotic and interesting than the French menus she attempted (with varying degrees of success) in an effort to please.
NPR Music's 50 Favourite Albums of 2010
Looking for Christmas gift ideas for a music lover? Check out this wide ranging list of 2010 faves that NPR music has assembled — there's sure to be something for everyone.
Craft Works
The Guardian visits three influential British designers who use the traditional skills of craftsmen and women to shape the way we live.
Holiday Books
More favourite books of 2010, this time from Design Observer contributors — heavy on design, typography and art (naturally), plus lots of great suggestions for fiction, poetry, biography and history, too.
Holiday Cookies From Around the World
Saveur magazine asked pastry chef Nick Malgieri to share a few of his favorite Christmas cookie recipes from around the world — add some variety to your holiday baking with Austrian vanillekipferl, Norwegian krumkakes and dulce de leche filled Argentine alfajores among other delectable treats.
(photo by Belen Imaz from French by Design via pinterest)