Raymond Loewy Designs for a Consumer Culture
June 7 – August 27, 2006
This exhibition was organized by the Hagley Museum and Library and toured by ExhibitsUSA
Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture has been made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the American Masterpieces program.
Raymond Loewy was the most prominent industrial designer of the 20th century. As he once said, his firms created everything from lipsticks to locomotives. Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture showcases his work, placing it in the wider context of the shaping of a modern look for consumer culture. His career is brought to life by an array of original drawings, models, products, advertisements, photographs, and rare film footage of Loewy at work.
Raymond Loewy became involved in the emerging world of industrial design in the 1920s after a successful career in commercial illustration. He eventually would become the best-known industrial designer in the world. He spent more than five decades streamlining and modernizing silverware and fountain pens, supermarkets and department stores. Loewy and his teams designed the color scheme and logo for Air Force One, the John F. Kennedy memorial stamp, the Greyhound Scenicruiser, and the interiors for NASA’s Skylab. Clients included such icons as Coca-Cola, Exxon, and Lucky Strike cigarettes.
Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture draws heavily on Loewy’s personal archives, a treasure collection of images and information not previously available to researchers or the public. A national magazine said of him in 1950, “Loewy has probably affected the daily life of more Americans than any other man of his time.” Many of his designs are still in use today.
Photos courtesy of Adam Willis.
PHOTO GALLERY
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Raymond Loewy was a pioneering figure in 20th-century industrial design, renowned for his sleek, streamlined creations that left an indelible mark on automotive, product, and graphic design. Born in 1893 in France, Loewy immigrated to the United States in 1919, where he quickly made a name for himself with his innovative approach to design. He founded his own design firm, Raymond Loewy Associates, which became synonymous with cutting-edge design solutions across a wide range of industries.
Loewy’s influence is perhaps most notably felt in automotive design, where his iconic designs for companies like Studebaker and Greyhound revolutionized transportation aesthetics. His ability to blend form and function resulted in timeless creations such as the Studebaker Avanti and the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus. Beyond automobiles, Loewy’s portfolio includes the iconic Coca-Cola bottle and the streamlined Lucky Strike cigarette package, showcasing his versatility and lasting impact on consumer culture. With his visionary designs and relentless pursuit of elegance and efficiency, Raymond Loewy cemented his legacy as one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century.
