Founders of American Industrial Design

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As the Great Depression started in 1929, several dozen creative individuals from a variety of artistic fields, including theatrical, advertising, graphic, fashion, and furniture design, pioneered a new profession. Responding to unprecedented public and industry demand for new styles, these artists entered the industrial world during what was called the ‘Machine Age,’ to introduce ‘Modern’ design to the external appearance and form of mass-produced, functional, mechanical, consumer products, formerly not considered ‘art.’ The popular, modern designs by these ‘Machine Designers’ increased sales and profits dramatically for manufacturers, which helped the economy to recover; established a new profession, ‘industrial design;’ and within a decade, changed the fact of American products from mechanical monstrosities into sleek, modern forms expressive of the future. This book is about those few dozen industrial designers, and how they founded, developed, educated, and organised today’s profession of 50,000 practitioners, who design all those attractive and useful products you love.