Thermos pitcher, 1935
Enameled steel, glass, rubber, and chrome platingexpand_more
The Modernism Collection, gift of Norwest Bank Minnesotaexpand_more 98.276.225.1a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
Henry Dreyfuss was perhaps the most understated of the early industrial designers. Like his teacher and main inspiration Norman Bel Geddes, he moved from theater design to industrial design, but took a more practical approach, developing long relationships with clients such as the Hoover company, John Deere, and the New York Central Railroad. Dreyfuss preferred the word "cleanlining" to "streamlining," which distanced him from what he considered to be the excesses of the 1930s restyling movement. He was sufficiently self-promotional to write his own autobiography, Designing for People, in 1955, following in the footsteps of Bel Geddes, Teague, and Loewy.
These pitchers are typical of his approach to industrial design, with synthetic materials and clean lines. The American Thermos Bottle Company promoted them with Dreyfuss's name, which appears in signature form on the bottom.
Details
- Title
- Thermos pitcher
- Artist Life
- 1904 - 1972
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 98.276.225.1a,b
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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