Smithsonian Libraries

Raymond Loewy papers, [mid-1940s-early 1960s]

Summary

Collection ID:
SIL-CH.XXXX-0001
Creators:
Loewy, Raymond, 1893-1986
Dates:
[mid-1940s-early 1960s]
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
3 Boxes
2 letter sized boxes, 1 legal sized box.
Repository:
This collection spans the period from the mid-1940s to the early-1960s and consists ofnewspaper and magazine articles by and about Loewy, including the 1949
TIME
magazine on which he appeared on the cover. Extensive clippings exist pertaining to his designs for automobiles. Also includes many articles and speeches written by and about William Snaith, a partner in the firm which was renamed Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc. in 1961. A catalog from the exhibition, "Ten Automobiles," which took place at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1953, is included. Other materials include brochures printed and designed by the firm, press releases, a listing of projects, honors, and membership. Some photographs of Loewy and his design team are included. The collection does not contain any original design materials or project files.

Arrangement note

Arrangement note
Unprocessed.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Industrial Designer. Born Paris, France, November 8, 1893, Loewy initially studied electrical engineering, and by 1909, he has designed and sold a successful airplane model. He immigrated to the United States in 1919 and became a naturalized citizen in 1938. Loewy began working as a freelance window display designer for Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue, and as an illustrator for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and others, from 1919.
He designed the trademark for Neiman-Marcus in 1923. Loewy is identified as one of the founding fathers of industrial design. In 1929, he started Raymond Loewy Associates in New York, and by 1947, he appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. Loewy's designs always stressed the importance of the clean, functional, dynamic design of products. His schooling in electrical engineering translated into his designs for automobiles, trains, airplanes, ships, and spacecraft for NASA. He also designed interiors for many hotels, offices, and supermarkets. He is best known for his designs for the 1947 Studebaker Starlight Coupe; the 1953 Starliner Coupe; the 1961 Avanti; the 1947 line of Hallicrafter radio recievers; the 1929 Gestetner duplicating machine; the 1934 Sears Coldspot refrigerator; and the S-I steam locomotive for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
He also designed logos for Exxon and Shell oil companies, and bottles and refrigerated vending machines for Coca Cola. He became President of the American Society of Industrial Designers in 1946. Loewy established Compagnie de l'Esthetique Industrielle in Paris in 1952. His work has been featured in many exhibitions, including: "An Exhibition for Modern Living", Detroit Institute of Arts, 1949; "The Designs of Raymond Loewy", Renwick Gallery of the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1975; and "The Machine Age in America", Brooklyn Museum, 1986, among others. He authored, "The Locomotive: Its Esthetics", 1937; "Never Leave Well Enough Alone", 1951; and "Industrial Design", 1979. In 1961, Loewy went into semi-retirement, became partners with William Snaith, and renamed the company Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc. Loewy died in Monte Carlo, July 14, 1986.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The materials in this collection were donated to Cooper-Hewitt by Betty Reese, Loewy's publicist.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
Unprocessed; access is limited. Permission of Library Director required for use.

Location of Other Archival Materials Note

Location of Other Archival Materials Note
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The Raymond Loewy Collection. Drawings, blueprints, sketches, phtographs, slides, and audio and video recordings, covering the period from 1929-1988.
Location of Other Archival Materials Note
Canadian Center for Architecture, Special Collections. Vertical file docmenting Loewy's work.

More Information

Other Finding Aids note

Other Finding Aids note
No finding aid.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Radio -- Receivers and reception -- Design and construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Packaging -- Design Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corporate image -- Design Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Press releases Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Logos (Symbols) -- Design Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior decoration -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Automobiles -- Design and construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industrial designers Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior designers Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design, Industrial -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Packaging designers Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Supermarkets -- Design Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coldspot refrigerator Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Speeches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transportation -- Design Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United Air Lines, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Snaith, William, 1908-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Studebaker Corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coca-Cola Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Society of Industrial Designers Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Exxon Corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hallicrafter Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gestetner Duplicating Machine Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
International Business Machines Corporation Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hupp Motor Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loewy, Raymond, 1893-1986 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Raymond Loewy Associates Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shell Oil Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sears, Roebuck and Co. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Smithsonian Libraries
P.O. Box 37012
NMAH 1041, MRC 672
Washington, DC 20013-7012
AskaLibrarian@si.edu