SchoolArts - October 2008

This late eighteenth-century sewing ruler
was designed to fold into the small, green _Things _to _Considershagreen case. The design of the ruler, its abil- _How _does _an _object’s _portability _affect _itsity to fold, and its small size would allow for _usefulness? _Can _you _think _of _objects _that^portability ^and ^convenience. ^The ^grommets, were originally designed to be stable, but were
which allowed for easy and frequent folding, _redesigned _to _be _more _effective _and _made _por-^were ^the ^technology ^of ^the ^time. table? What non-mobile object today would
The folding sewing ruler counts both _you _like _to _be _mobile?inches and centimeters. The ruler’s portability,
small size, and measurement devices would
make it perfect for an architect, a seamstress, ^Submitted ^by ^Barbara ^Pierce ^Bush, ^education_programs _assistant, _and _Kim _{Robledo-Diga,} _schoolor anyone who used measurements on a daily _programs _manager, _{Cooper-Hewitt,} _Nationalbasis in the eighteenth century or today. Design Museum.

The use of foldable objects for mobility has been popular for centuries. How does one make a large object smaller, yet still have it work just as well?

Folding Ruler and Case, France, late eighteenth Foldability of an object is just one way
century. Ivory (ruler), shagreen on wood core (case). of making it mobile. Camping tents can be
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithso- thrown in the air like a Frisbee and instantly
nian Institution. Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt, transformed into housing; children’s pools or
1931-86-112-a,b. Photo: Matt Flynn. mattresses can be inflated into voluminous
forms, and modern technology is allowing
items such as an MP3 player to place thou-
sands of songs in your pocket. A product’s
mobility bridges its engineering to a consum-
er’s ease of use.

GalleryCard SchoolArts October 2008

Raymond Loewy (French, 1893–1986), Photostat tested it to observe the airflow around the
of Plasticine Model of the S- 1 Locomotive for engine. By adjusting the roof smoke deflector,
the Pennsylvania Railroad, Client: Pennsylvania welding metal together, and smoothing and
Railroad, USA, 1936. White crayon over photostat encasing any protruding parts, Loewy reduced
on white paper. 17 ¹³/16 x 24 ¹⁵/16” ( 45 x 63 cm). the air resistance by 35%. The train’s body,
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smith- along with the front “bullet nose” allowed the
sonian Institution, Gift of the Pennsylvania Railroad train to travel at speeds up to 120 mph. Loewy
through Samuel M. Vauclain, 1937-58-6. Photo: also paid close attention to interior details
Matt Flynn. such as the color scheme, flatware, and even
the ticket stubs. Loewy did not just design a
train; he designed a unique experience.

^In ^1936, ^industrial ^designer ^Raymond ence? What are today’s transportation design ^Loewy ^of ^Pennsylvania ^Railroad ^brought challenges? How would you redesign the exte- ^excitement ^to ^rail ^travel ^by ^designing ^the ^inno-rior of a school bus or other vehicle in order to vative S- 1 Locomotive. Built to compete with _make _it _more _efficient?

New York Central Railroad, Loewy not only
redesigned the interior of the train, but he cre- ^Submitted ^by ^Barbara ^Pierce ^Bush, ^education_programs _assistant, _and _Kim _{Robledo-Diga,} _schoolated an exterior design that screamed speed. _programs _manager, _{Cooper-Hewitt,} _NationalLoewy sculpted a clay model of the S1 and Design Museum.

The 1930s were a time of strong competition between railroad companies and the more modern airplanes. Thus, railroads wanted to _Things _to _Considerprovide more than a mode of transportation, _How _are _today’s _trains, _planes, _and _automo-they wanted to design an experience of luxury. _biles _designed _to _make _travel _a _better _experi-

Henry Dreyfuss’s 20th Century Limited for the

GalleryCard SchoolArts October 2008

Smithsonian Institution, Gift of the Lake St. Louis The Landi chair was one of the staple
Historical Society, 2001-31-5. Photo: Matt Flynn. pieces to come from the exhibition, demon-
strating Coray’s forward-thinking designs for
Consumers might feel that designing a chair is functionality. It continues to be a popular
simple, but its simplicity has resulted in one of chair design today.
the greatest design challenges over time. The
most basic chair will serve its function of pro- _Things _to _Considerviding a place to sit, but a well-designed chair _Do _the _chairs _you _sit _in _at _school _serve _their^will ^find ^harmony ^between ^form ^and ^function.function? If not, what design changes would
In 1939, Hans Coray was asked to design _you _propose? _How _do _you _think _the _Landia chair for the Swiss National Exhibition. _chair _influenced _other _outdoor _furniture^Because ^the ^exhibition ^was ^expected ^to ^have used today? Coray’s Landi chair concentrated
several million visitors, Coray wanted to pro- _on _draining _rainwater _and _ease _of _clean-up.duce a chair suitable for outdoor use that could _What _other _{considerations} _should _Coray _haveeasily be moved and stacked. Coray succeeded _addressed?by designing a 6½ lb. lightweight chair made of
aluminum, an easily obtainable material with
^{weather-resistant} ^and ^{corrosion-proof} ^quali-^Submitted ^by ^Barbara ^Pierce ^Bush, ^educationprograms assistant, and Kim Robledo-Diga, school
ties. Sixty perforations were placed in the alu- _programs _manager, _{Cooper-Hewitt,} _Nationalminum body to lessen the chair’s already light Design Museum.

Chair: Landi, designed by Hans Coray (Swiss, weight and allow rain to easily drain from the 1906–1991), manufactured by P. and W. Blattmann seat. The smooth surface made the chair easy

Metallwarenfabrik, introduced 1939. Aluminum, to clean and even more functional for outdoor rubber. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, use and maintenance.

GalleryCard SchoolArts October 2008

Fitter Brothers’ bedsteads and mattresses to What do you notice about the different ^a ^mass ^audience. ^The ^Fitter ^Brothers ^was ^a designs presented in the Fitter Brothers cata-company either from or connected to Birming- logue? How is it helpful to view all of the ham, England. At the time, Birmingham was a designs next to each other? center for brass manufacturing, hence the use of brass in the bedsteads. The images in the _Submitted _by _Barbara _Pierce _Bush, _educationcatalogue were used as a selling tool to adver- programs assistant, and Kim Robledo-Diga, school tise the Fitter Brothers’ various designs and to programs manager, Cooper-Hewitt, National spread information about them. Because the ^Design ^Museum.

The Fitter Brothers trade catalogue was made in 1906 and was used to advertise the Things to Consider

In today’s world, elaborate store showrooms and limitless space on Internet stores have changed the way consumers shop and how companies showcase their products. The classic store catalogue made popular by Sears, Roebuck and Co. might have less significance today, but it is vital in retail history.

Plates from Bedsteads, Cots, Etc., Iron & Brass cover of the catalogue says “Export catalogue,
in Four-post, Tent, Canopy and Other Kinds. no. 33” it was most likely intended for an
Export Catalogue No. 33. Birmingham, England: American audience to view and buy British
Fitter Brothers, c. 1906. goods. The catalogue images depict the trend
of functionality and mobility—the bedsteads
are all foldable and easy to pack. Catalogues
and other formats that contain examples of
a product or technique are uniquely tangible
tools that link together design, technology,
and marketing. They also provide a detailed
view into design tastes, styles, and color sen-
sibilities of other eras.