On a recent trip to one of our local thrift stores, Anthony purchased a silver plate serving dish with a strong streamline design. He instinct made him believe it from the 1930’s. Other than the manufacture’s mark, we knew nothing about it. One of the best parts of researching our finds is learning and educating ourselves about new (to us) designers.
1936 Reed & Barton silver plate serving dish, designed by Belle Kogan. From the collection of the author.
The underside of the serving dish Belle Kogan designed for Reed & Barton in 1936. From the collection of the author.
Made by Reed & Barton and numbered 1605, the markings enabled us to easily research the piece.
Reed & Barton mark on the underside of the Kogan designed serving dish. From the collection of the author.
Serving dish, Reed & Barton silver plate, a Belle Kogan design. From the collection of the author.
Apropos to Women’s History Month we found the designer to be Belle Kogan. She is a pioneer for women in the field of industrial design because she broke through the barriers in a field dominated by men.
Belle Kogan “Godmother of Industrial Design” (photo via web)
Born Bella Cohen in Ilyashevka, Russia in 1902 and emigrating with her family to the Allentown, Pa. in 1906, she showed an early interest in art. A teacher, recognizing her natural talent, suggested she enroll in Mechanical Drawing classes.
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But on her first day Belle quickly realized she was the only female in the class. A portent of thing to come.
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- Pratt Institute Seal (photo via internet)
After graduating high school, Belle taught mechanical design to earn enough money to attend Pratt Institute. However the reason for leaving Pratt is unclear. And whether dropping out of her own choosing or pulled out by her father to raise her younger siblings and managing the family jewelry business is up for debate.
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Moreover working almost a decade for her father, frustrated by life and in response to her father’s wishes she get married, Belle said:
“Well, I’m going to have a career, goodbye… I am never going to get married and I am never going to have children. I had a family all my life I helped raise. I helped you in business. I want a life of my own.*”
(*Pat Kirkman’s book, Woman Designers in the USA 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference; and Modernism in American Silver by Jewel Stern)
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Then in 1929 at the beginning of what became the great depression, her luck changed. The Quaker Silver Company took a chance on the new designer, offering her the opportunity to design pewter and silver items. And pleased with her work, they paid her tuition to study design in Rhode Island, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia that same year. She credits this opportunity with her understanding that design was work, it didn’t just happen.
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As a result of her hard work and being a trusted employee, Quaker Silver offered her the opportunity to set up her own studio as a freelance designer.
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And so in 1931, Belle opened the Belle Kogan and Associates in New York City becoming one, if not the first, woman to open her own design firm. But she struggled at first. Securing an appointment with a prospective client (a large appliance manufacturer), they refused to meet with her. Because, they thought they would be meeting with Mr. Belle Kogan. Unfazed, she collected her consulting fees and left.
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Unfortunately, this would be repeated several times in her early career. Often, dismissed by men solely based on her gender. Or worse, prospective male clients wanting a more personal relationship over the professional one she hoped to cultivate.
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Her innovative and elegant designs eventually attracted high-end clients. For Reed & Barton, she designed silver plate serving pieces with a modern, linear design, including the serving dish Anthony found.
Belle Kogan’s double vegetable dish, manufactured by Reed & Barton in 1936. Image from www.core77.com
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And for Telechron the whimsical duck-shaped alarm clock.
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- 1934 Patent for Belle Kogan’s Duck clock from Telechron. Image from decophobia.com
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- Duck Clock, front side, by Telechron.
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- The back of the Telechron Duck clock.
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In addition, for Zippo, sleek modern lighters.
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- Zippo ad (photo via kenwins213.co.uk)
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Subsequently she designed jewelry for Tiffany and Co. And then created the successful Belle Kogan 100-line (1938-1940) for Red Wing Pottery.
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- 100 line Architectural Vase (photo via eBay)
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- 100 line #861 Handled Vase (photo via Worthpoint)
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Likewise for Red Wing Potteries, her Prizmatique line (1962).
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- Prismatique (photo via imgur.com/r/Mid_Century/57axtsl)
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Moreover, she worked in every medium: wood, glass, ceramic, plastics, and metals. Above all, by 1939, she supported fellow female designers by hiring three women to assist in her design firm.
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- Injected dots (photo via 1stdibs)
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- Bakelite Bracelet circa 1930 (photo via 1stdibs)
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Eventually Belle closed her New York studio in 1970 and moved to Israel to work with KV Designs. Subsequently leaving them is 1972, she became a highly sought design consultant.
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And true to her word, she never married and had no children. Finally recognized for her contributions to 20th century design, the “Godmother of Industrial Design” passed away in 2000 living life on her terms.
This is absolutely fascinating. I have studied and collected Art Deco for decades and yet never really knew anything about Belle Kogan. The wide range of her designs and the companies she worked for, her dedication to career rather than traditional family life , the sleek and streamlined influence in her work, her Jewish emigree roots, her successes during turbulent times from the Depression through the war years…it is all so interesting and inspiring. In many ways her story reminds me of the ceramicist Eva Zeisel. Thank you for putting together this research and a wonderful article .
ו was fortunate enough to know Belle personally in her later years when she immigrated to Israel, and in fact, as well as many fond memories and stories, was lucky enough to have been given some of het designs!
Wonderful article!
Hello Toby Boni Shamir,
That is amazing that you actually knew Belle Kogan personally! Wow, you were given some of her designs!!!! May I ask, did she ever show you or talk about, or have you ever seen or owned any of her Metropoltis designs? I obtained an item she designed in 1935, a 16” science fiction city designed on a platter. Wondering if you are familar with that design. If you provide n email, I would love to get your opinion of a photo of it and I need feedback, direction or guidance. I am so glad she lived to be 98, what a legacy! A true inspiration and amazing role model!
Teal Gau of New York & Savannah, GA
I’m the proud owner of a Belle Kogan Red Wing vase in sienna brown. I think it’s #765. I won it on ebay about 15 years ago. Another bidder contacted me after the auction and said they were related to her and had wanted it for a museum they were organizing. Don’t know if that was true but I liked it even though it wasn’t what I collected — arts & crafts matte green. Still, it looks great in my collection. If it hadn’t been for that person contacting me, I wouldn’t have known who Belle Kogan was. I was just buying a nice Red Wing vase. So thank you to that guy.
Lucky you! We weren’t aware of Belle Kogan either before we picked up the piece. Best philosophy is to collect what you love.
Recognizing the importance of Belle’s contribution to Industrial Design, let alone being recognized as the “Godmother of Industrial Design” I have yet to find a book that covers her amazing career. Anyone know of one?