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A Life's Design: The Life And Work of Industrial Designer Charles Harrison
The Viewmaster. The portable hair dryer. The riding lawn mower. The see-through measuring cup. The first garbage can that didn’t dent, break or go clang in the night.These and countless other icons of Americana unobtrusively yet radically reshaped the contours of 20th Century life—millions can say they have one of these or fondly remember one of those. Yet few if any can say that they knew that the genius behind these and those originated from one prolific a dyslexic kid from rural Louisiana.A Life’s Design (Ibis 2006, 125 pp) chronicles the life, career and the emergent philosophy of Charles “Chuck” Harrison, one the most prolific and respected industrial designers of his time, an influencer on style and design today, and a pioneer as the first African American executive ever hired by Sears Roebuck & Company.Designs by Chuck Harrison not only reflected our changing lives, they often drove the transformation itself that took place in the American home and workplace during the era following World War II through the mid-1980s.
- GenresDesign
125 pages, Hardcover
First published December 30, 2005
37 people want to read
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August 11, 2011A life's design - The life and work of industrial designer Charles Harrison.
As some one who has an interest in usability and design, I was impressed with how many of Charles Harrison's designs affected my life.
I grew up in a small town where the Sears catalog was a staple, and as I read through this book i was surprised at how many of his designs I had used growing up. The plastic garbage cans, the sewing machines, the radios, television sets and even my Viewmaster™ all had his touch out upon them.
This is a small sampling of the several thousand products he had designed in his time.
The book itself shows us some of the many products he has created over the years, the pictures are large , rich and printed on glossy stock so that you can see the details put into the put into all of his designs.
Not only were the designs esthetically pleasing - but the thought of features ( like hand holds,self sealing lids and durability on his garbage cans) lets you know that he was taking the use of the product in consideration as well.
Charles Harrison was one of the first black designers in corporate America. And his contributions to industrial design in the past and towards the future have been substantial.
As some one who has an interest in usability and design, I was impressed with how many of Charles Harrison's designs affected my life.
I grew up in a small town where the Sears catalog was a staple, and as I read through this book i was surprised at how many of his designs I had used growing up. The plastic garbage cans, the sewing machines, the radios, television sets and even my Viewmaster™ all had his touch out upon them.
This is a small sampling of the several thousand products he had designed in his time.
The book itself shows us some of the many products he has created over the years, the pictures are large , rich and printed on glossy stock so that you can see the details put into the put into all of his designs.
Not only were the designs esthetically pleasing - but the thought of features ( like hand holds,self sealing lids and durability on his garbage cans) lets you know that he was taking the use of the product in consideration as well.
Charles Harrison was one of the first black designers in corporate America. And his contributions to industrial design in the past and towards the future have been substantial.
Displaying 1 of 1 review