"The Zephyr" desk clock, c. 1934
Brass, copperexpand_more
The Modernism Collection, gift of Norwest Bank Minnesotaexpand_more 98.276.131
Not on Viewexpand_more
Weber produced several digital clocks for Lawson Time, but "The Zephyr" is the most inventive and memorable, in the new digital format. Inspired by the Burlington Pioneer Zephyr train which sped between Chicago and Denver (once clocked in a test run at 104 m.p.h.), the clock is rather ingenious in form, a graceful inverted "S"-shaped contour.
Kem Weber brought the modern style in industrial design to the West Coast. He came from Germany to work on the 1915 San Francisco Panama Pacific International Exposition, but at the outbreak of the First World War he was trapped in the U.S. and denied permission to return at war's end. Making lemonade from these lemons, he became a well-known designer in California.
Details
- Title
- "The Zephyr" desk clock
- Artist Life
- American (born Germany), 1889-1963
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 98.276.131
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our 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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