Chicago Design 1946-1970: Place, People and Products
This presentation views Chicago at the center of important national trends, such as the movement of manufacturing from the city to the suburbs, to the coasts and then offshore, with examples from the local consumer electronics industry. It also considers five Illinois colleges interconnected in the teaching and practice of Chicago design as designers evolved from stylists to business strategy consultants. The unheard voices of industrial designers who were students or practitioners in Chicago during those years inform the narrative and their previously unpublished photographs, drawings, and letters personalize the story.
Respondent: Bess Williamson, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The Chicago: City of Commerce and Design, 1890-1990 Seminar is part of Art Design Chicago, an exploration of Chicago’s art and design legacy, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.