technical drawings of a standing woman and child at right; child has PR arm held out at 45 degrees; woman holds PR arm straight out above child's head; seated female figure seen from PL in LRC with child above and to right seen from same angle; both seated figures have PL arm held with elbow bent at 90 degrees and PL hand in a fist; PR arms stretched out straight; measurements marked on figures

%C2%A9 1955 Henry Dreyfuss

This is Josephine, the Average American Female and Joe Jr. a Typical 6 Year Old, 1955

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Alvin Tilley, an industrial designer who specialized in anthropometrics, worked for nearly 50 years for Henry Dreyfuss Associates in New York, one of the leading American industrial design studios. Tilley's studies of human proportions were published in several books and became fundamental references in industrial design. The earliest, "Designing for People" (1955), featured three protagonists: Joe, Josephine, and Joe Jr.--created to epitomize the average American body types. Their carefully analyzed and measured figures are the result of an exhaustive study of the widely varied human population. The goal was to find an elusive "average" to serve as a model to guide industrial designers to create better designs that serve a wider public.

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Details
Title
This is Josephine, the Average American Female and Joe Jr. a Typical 6 Year Old
Artist Life
1904 - 1972
Role
Designer
Accession Number
2011.25.2
Provenance
Henry Dreyfuss Associates, New York, 1955-1996; private collection, St. Paul, 1996-2010; gave to MIA
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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technical drawings of a standing woman and child at right; child has PR arm held out at 45 degrees; woman holds PR arm straight out above child's head; seated female figure seen from PL in LRC with child above and to right seen from same angle; both seated figures have PL arm held with elbow bent at 90 degrees and PL hand in a fist; PR arms stretched out straight; measurements marked on figures

© 1955 Henry Dreyfuss

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