Tag Archives: Moderne

Belle Kogan – 20th Century American Industrial Designer

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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.

 

Reed & Barton serving dish, designed by Belle Kogan.

1936 Reed & Barton silver plate serving dish, designed by Belle Kogan. From the collection of the author.

The underside of the serving dish.

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 serving dish.

Reed & Barton mark on the underside of the Kogan designed serving dish. From the collection of the author.

 

Belle Kogan designed serving dish.

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)

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.

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 covered double vegetable dish for Reed & Barton, 1936.

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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In addition, for Zippo, sleek modern lighters.

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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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Likewise for Red Wing Potteries, her Prizmatique line (1962).

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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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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.

 

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

After the Thin Man: Moderne setting for a New Year’s Eve Mystery.

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Opening title to After the Thin Man. A moderne font is used for credits of After the Thin Man, 1936, directed by W. S. Van Dyke. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.
Main title. Main title. Image from Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Sometimes it happens, when a movie sequel equals or surpasses the original such as The Godfather Part 2 and Bride of Frankenstein. And so it is with 1936’s After the Thin Man, the follow up to The Thin Man. Nobody at M-G-M expected The Thin Man to be the huge hit that it became. Given a B picture budget, and one star considered past his prime, William Powell and a feature player on her way up, Myrna Loy, director W. S. Van Dyke completed the film in two and half weeks. The film re-established William Powell as a top star and it propelled Myrna Loy in the “A” ranks of stars at M-G-M. Normally a sequel would follow immediately. But M-G-M waited two and half years before releasing the second Thin Man film. In the mean time other studios made imitation “Thin Man” type mysteries, some even starring William Powell. These films only whetted the audience’s appetite for a genuine sequel.  By the end of 1936 public excitement for the follow up had reached a high point. After the Thin Man opened in New York City on Christmas Day and around the country shortly after. It was M-G-M’s Christmas gift to movie audiences.

 

NYC's Capitol Theatre, 1936.

After the Thin Man’s opening at Manhattan’s Capitol Theatre Christmas week, 1936. Image from Hollywoodhistoricphotos.com.

 

After the Thin Man begins exactly where the Thin Man ends, with Nick and Nora on the train heading home to San Francisco in time for New Year’s Eve.

 

Sunset Limited.

The Sunset Limited bringing Nick and Nora home from New York at the start of After the Thin Man. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Establishing the location with the arrival of the train and actual shots of Nick and Nora in their Packard Super 8 arriving to a spectacular home in the Telegraph Hill district of San Francisco.

 

 

Asta and the lawn deer.

A very happy Asta leaps over a nice Art Deco lawn deer. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

From this point on the film reverts to sets on studio sound stages in Hollywood. And these sets with art direction by Cedric Gibbons (1890 – 1960) and set direction by Henry Grace (1907 – 1983) are a showcase for home decoration of the mid-1930’s.

 

The front door of the Charles residence.

Home, sweet, home. Nick and Nora approaching their front door. Great bas relief over the door. Image from Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Gibbons set decorations in the late 1920’s starting with Our Dancing Daughters (1928) helped to usher in modern design to the United States. The exuberant designs dominated by triangles of the first era of modernism had given way to a streamline form in less than a decade. Gibbons stayed up-to-date with trends and his work for After the Thin Man shows the way modern design was heading.

 

The Living Room

 

 

The Kitchen

 

The Kitchen.

The 1936 dream kitchen. Streamline metal cabinets. Small knick knack shelves on both sides of the window and modern appliances, including a General Electric vacuum coffee pot on the counter. Image from the Warner Bros. DVD.

 

The Bedroom

 

The Bedroom.

Nick puts Asta out for the night. Another round mirror and some nice metal deers on the dresser framing the radio. Image from Warner Bros. DVD.

 

So if you are not planning to go out partying for New Year’s Eve, consider spending sometime with Nick and Nora Charles and watch After the Thin Man. I guarantee you’ll have a good time and the only drunks you’ll encounter are those in the film.

 

End credit.

Stylish end title. Image from Warner Bros. DVD.

 

Happy New Year from Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys).