Category Archives: Industrial Design

Reference Library Update: Home Talent

Walter Dorwin Teague portrait

Walter Dorwin Teague, circa 1939. Image from idsa.org.

 

December 18th marks the 135th year since the birth of Walter Dorwin Teague. This latest Reference Library update comes from the January, 1939 House Beautiful. The brief article features Teague’s interior design for his apartment in Manhattan’s exclusive River House.  River House (designed by the firm of Bottomley, Wagner & White, 1931) is located at the end of East 52nd Street. When it opened, it was at the end of a street of tenement houses. It was the inspiration for Sidney Kingsley’s 1935 play, Dead End.

 

River House, 1931.

River House, December 15, 1931. Samuel H. Gottscho photograph from the mcny.org

 

Born in Pendleton, Indiana, Teague aspired to become an artist while still in high school. At the age of 19 he moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League of New York. Between 1908 and the mid-1920’s Teague worked in advertising, typography and graphic design. Creating frames for ads based on Baroque and Renaissance designs became his signature style. In time these frames would become known by the generic term “Teague Borders”, even if they were not designed by him.

 

 
1922 Arrow Collar Ad.
1922 J. C. Leyendecker Arrow Collar illustration with frame by Walter Dorwin Teague. Image from Pinterest.



Teague left commercial advertising work in the mid-1920’s. He set off for Europe to study the new modern styles. While there, Teague became familiar with the work of the Bauhaus at an exposition in Italy.  From this point forward his work would be influenced by Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus. After returning to the United States, Teague entered the industrial design field. His first major commission came from the Eastman Kodak Company. Teague designed a number of cameras for Kodak. The Bauhaus style is very evident in the Kodak 1A Gift Camera (1930) and the less expensive Beau Brownies (1930 – 1933).

 

 

Kodak Beau Brownies.
Kodak Beau Brownie No 2A in shades of brown and No 2 in black and maroon (1930 -1933). From the collection of the author.


Teague continued designing for Kodak into the mid-1930’s. His crowning achievement for the company came with the exceptionally designed Kodak Bantam Special of 1936. 

 

Kodak Bantam Special.

The Kodak Bantam Special, 1936, with its original box. Image from http://kodak.digitalfx.tv.

By the early 1930’s Teague became one of the top industrial designers in the United States. This put him in the ranks with Norman Bel Geddes, Raymond Loewy and Henry Dreyfuss. During this period some of his other clients included Sparton Radio and Texaco. 

 

Sparton Bluebird Radio.

Walter Dorwin Teague’s 566 “Bluebird” radio for Sparton, 1936. This model is in the collection at the Corning Museum of Glass. Author’s photo.

 

Texaco station rendering.

Teague rendering for the prototype Texaco service station, 1936. Image from NC University.

 

He began exhibition work with the Ford Pavilion at Chicago’s 1933-1934 Century of Progress Exposition. 

 

 

Roof of Safety.

Roof of Safety exhibit inside the Ford Building, Century of Progress 1933 – 1934. Image from https://chicagology.com

 

Ford Globe.

Globe in the Court of the World, Ford Exhibit at the Century of Progress. Image from https://chicagology.com

As a result of his work in Chicago, Teague continued his association with Ford. He created their exhibit at the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition in San Diego. The following year, his Texaco exhibit proved to be a popular attraction at Dallas’s Texas Centennial Exposition. For the New York World’s Fair Teague’s exhibit work included commissions from Ford, United States Steel and National Cash Register. 

 

Ford Cyclorama

Teague’s Ford Cyclorama at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.Image from https://designhistorylab.com                                                                                                                    

Working in collaboration with Edwin Fuerst for Libbey Glass they created the Embassy pattern. The glasses engraved with an eagle and stars were used at the Federal Building at the New York World’s Fair. Glasses without the engraving were sold to the public. These are very collectible today. 

 

Embassy pattern glass.

Walter Dorwin Teague and Edwin Fuerst glass in the Embassy pattern for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. This glass is in the collection at the Corning Museum of Glass. Author’s photo.

 

While Teague was busy putting the final touches on several exhibits at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, House Beautiful honored him with a feature on his apartment. To read the article click on the magazine cover below.

 

January, 1939 House Beautiful.

January, 1939 issue of House Beautiful.

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin, Tiquen Guys)

 

Reference Library Update – Bel Geddes

The logo of Norman Bel Geddes

Norman Bel Geddes logo. Image from Wikipedia.

 

Norman Bel Geddes.

Norman Bel Geddes, circa 1925. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

For October’s reference library update, Driving For Deco brings you a career profile of industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes (1893 – 1958).  The article appeared in the July, 1930 issue of Fortune magazine. Bel Geddes began his career as a set and stage designer working for the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1920’s shows he designed included The Miracle and Fifty Million Frenchmen. In the mid 1930’s he would design the set for Sidney Kingsley’s play Dead End.

The Miracle, 1924.

The Miracle, New York production 1924. Set by Norman Bel Geddes. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

Dead End, 1935.

Norman Bel Geddes set for Dead End, 1935. Sidney Kingsley’s Pulitzer Prize winning play at the Belasco Theater. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

Turning from the theatre in the late 1920’s Bel Geddes ventured into the brand new field of industrial design. He achieved new fame by redesigning many standard products. Ranging from kitchen appliances, to cars and other forms of transportation, to homes and factories, nothing was too small or too large for Bel Geddes to tackle. In 1932 he authored the book Horizons in which he outlined his theories and ideas.

 

1932, Horizons by Norman Bel Geddes

Horizons by Norman Bel Geddes, 1932. Image from abebooks.com

Today, original 1932 editions of this book are rare and can sell between $250.00 and $950.00.

 

Norman Bel Geddes ideas for planes, ocean liners and cars went far beyond anything of his time. He took streamlining further than any of his contemporaries. Bel Geddes liked to push limits knowing these designs would never materialize.

 

Airliner No. 4

Norman Bel Geddes Airliner No. 4 (1929-1932). Image from Keiththomsonbooks.com

"Whale"Ocean Liner.

“Whale” Ocean Liner designed by Norman Bel Geddes, 1932. Image from oobject.com

Locomotive No. 1

Locomotive No. 1 by Norman Bel Geddes, circa 1932. Image from oobject.com

 

Motor Car No. 9, 1932

Norman Bel Geddes Motor Car No. 9, circa 1932.

 

Of all the designs that Norman Bel Geddes created, three are most accessible to collectors today. The 1938 Soda King Syphon bottle, Revere’s magazine stand and the iconic “Manhattan” cocktail set are available with a good deal of cash.

Soda King White

Bel Geddes – Paxton Soda King, White. 1938

Magazine stand for Revere.

Norman Bel Geddes’ magazine stand for Revere. Image from einnasirrod.com

Manhattan Cocktail Set

The Manhattan cocktail set for Revere designed by Norman Bel Geddes. Image from the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston.

 

Futurama booklet

Futurama brochure, 1939. Image from oldcarbrochures.com

The best showcase for industrial designers in the 1930’s was the 1939 New York World’s Fair.  Bel Geddes created its most popular exhibit, General Motors, Futurama. This massive display provided a glimpse into 1960 America in a simulated coast-to-coast airplane flight. Massive highways with radio controlled cars provided access to cities with different levels for automobiles and pedestrians. There would also be plenty of green space to spend leisure time. Industrial zones would be a good distance away from residential neighborhoods. Many of the ideas that Bel Geddes designed for Futurama would come to fruition in the 1950’s and later.

 

General Motor's building, NY World's Fair.

Norman Bel Geddes General Motors Pavillion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Image from The New York Times.

 

To read the Fortune article profiling Norman Bel Geddes industrial design career, click on the cover below.

 

Fortune Magazine, July, 1930.

July, 1930 Fortune Magazine

 Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)