The Henry Ford Blog

In anticipation of the newest exhibit, Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller, opening this Saturday, Chief Curator Marc Greuther sat down with Carrie Nolan to talk about mid-century, modern design and how someone could incorporate it into their own home décor.

When you think mid-century modern design you might have visions of kidney-shaped tables or funky looking lamps—something quirky, spare or uncomfortable. But, it’s so much more.

Or sometimes much less: take Charles and Ray Eames for example. Their chairs are simple and yet comfortable. They adopted a reductive approach—simplifying shapes and reducing components—but their work always remained rooted in addressing needs, not aiming for stylistic expression. In a sense they were traditionalists, working closely with materials and tools. Ray’s design lens was particularly attuned to abstraction and sculptural form; her husband Charles always retained an architectural perspective. But they were also non-traditional as designers, not only in the breadth of their activities—filmmaking, exhibit design, toys, fabric and graphic design—but also in the way they cross-referenced their work, enriching their work in one field by their work in others. Together—and with the manufacturing and development commitment of the Herman Miller company—they created some of the most revered furniture designs of all time.

There’s no denying the quirkiness factor in the George Nelson-designed Marshmallow Sofa. With this design, Nelson—who as design director at Herman Miller brought Charles and Ray Eames into the company’s fold—created one of the most iconic designs of the era. It is more comfortable than it looks, but the strong visual presence and uncompromising structural statement established was what established it as a design classic.

Now, how would someone not familiar with mid-century, modern design—or even someone who is—translate this into their own home?

Marc’s advice: Do what works for you. The Eames’ residence, he explains, is a box-like structure built largely from industrial components. Now preserved, it was furnished extensively with Charles and Ray’s own designs, along with select pieces by other designers. But it isn’t a harsh space: there is much decoration and pattern—plenty of fabrics, ornaments, plants—and plenty of light. And where appropriate it is cozy and intimate. Nothing could be further than the notion of Mid-Century Modern design as something sparse, spare and uncomfortable. They used their chosen furnishings wisely and weren’t afraid to mingle organic materials, folk art, fiberglass and plywood.

Marc says try to avoid a severely curated environment—the sort that’s built-up from recognized classics but that doesn’t serve your needs. The best designs from one era have a place with the best designs of other eras. He referenced the 1956 Eames lounge chair that is displayed on the Museum floor. It’s padded and cushy, the lines of design are simple, minimal and classic—it could go with any number of other period’s furnishings.

Also, don’t judge a piece of furniture superficially: fact is, some famous modern furniture designs are renowned more for their designer than their ability to offer comfort; at the same time, many great but anonymous designs from the era might make up for lack of known apparent pedigree with a welcome embrace. So try out potential purchases: start with how well the furniture works as furniture—sit in them, don’t just be seduced by a name or put off by the lack of one.

Starting February 6, check out our newest exhibit, Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller. We have partnered with the Muskegon Museum of Art to bring together some of the best mid-century, modern design furniture of all time – including the designs of influencers Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick who created the Aeron chair. I hope you come out to see what we’ve chosen – even the famous Marshmallow Sofa will be there – and maybe take some inspiration for your own style.

Also, you won’t want to miss the audio tour of the exhibit, narrated by none other than Marc Greuther – this is your chance to experience what I experienced talking with him in his office. (You can get a complimentary cell phone rental at any ticket counter.)

This guest post comes from Curator of Transportation, Bob Casey.

What do you get when you mix a war surplus fuel tank, an Oldsmobile engine, and a boatload of ingenuity? You get The Henry Ford’s latest automotive acquisition, the Lakester.

During World War II aircraft designers looking for ways to extend the range of fighter planes came up with the idea of hanging expendable auxiliary fuel tanks under the wings or fuselages of aircraft. These teardrop-shaped tanks could be jettisoned when they were empty. When Bill Burke, a California hot rodder serving in the Navy, saw some of these tanks on Guadalcanal, he thought they would make nifty bodies for streamlined racing cars. After the war, Burke put his idea into action.

Continue reading ‘Car Talk: The Lakester’

This post comes from Marc Greuther, Chief Curator and Curator of Design, published in the 2010 January-March issue of The Henry Ford’s Living History magazine.

Henry Ford Museum is filled with design. Autos, toys, furniture — even our beloved Wienermobile. In each case, someone designed it to look and perform the way it does for a very specific reason.

For 11 weeks, February 6-April 25, we’ll celebrate the world of design, from the magnificent to the mundane, from things that startle us to things we barely notice. In exhibits, tours and even a lecture series, we’ll explore how designers continually reshape the world around us.

The Herman Miller name is hardly new to visitors at The Henry Ford.

Work by Herman Miller designers such as Gilbert Rohde, George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames have long been integrated into our furniture exhibit. Charles and Ray’s work on chair design for Herman Miller is the subject of a new mini-exhibit in Henry Ford Museum. Earlier this year, the design archive of the late Bill Stumpf — co-creator of the renowned Aeron chair — was donated to the museum by his family.

But our connection to Herman Miller runs even deeper than that. In 1988, we became the lead institution in The Herman Miller Consortium, a group of 13 art and historical institutions that share approximately 800 artifacts collected by Herman Miller, Inc. As the lead institution, The Henry Ford maintains the database of the collection and is the first museum offered new additions.

So while the exhibit Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller is a natural extension of what we have been pursuing for decades, it also takes us into some areas we haven’t explored greatly in the past.

This exhibition offers a number of perspectives on the Herman Miller achievement — an achievement rooted in a combination of extraordinary vision and practical realization. The company’s commitment to addressing real design problems — always with an insistence on achievable, affordable and durable solutions — continues to this day.

Herman Miller is a company with an august heritage, but a heritage that points it to the future rather than mooring it in the past. In his introduction to the new edition of John Berry’s book Herman Miller: The Purpose of Design, Eames Demetrios said, “The chair that Charles and Ray were designing was the chair that Herman Miller makes tomorrow. The future is implicit in every piece.” He continued: “As Ray said, they wanted to do chairs where the act of mass-production made the chair better.”

The Henry Ford is proud to present this innovative touring exhibition that explores the problem-solving design process employed at the world-renowned West Michigan-based furniture company Herman Miller, Inc. Developed in collaboration with The Muskegon Museum of Art, the exhibition draws upon The Henry Ford’s Herman Miller Design Collection, a comprehensive archive of the company’s innovative processes and products, most of which have never been on public view.

The exhibition was developed by guest curator and design authority John R. Berry, who presents viewers with four case studies that embody the problem-solving ethos of Herman Miller — stories that tell how good design explores, inquires, engages and endures.

“These stories are intended to provide inspiration to us as individuals and as organizations to find new ways to re-generate, adapt and grow in these times of economic and environmental change,” Berry wrote in his curator’s statement.

“Additionally, ‘art’ and ‘design’ are often interchanged when they actually represent different purposes. Art is a form of self-expression. Artists choose subject matter, materials and media to share their reviews with others. Design is about meeting needs and is focused on serving others. Art and good design share the same concerns for positive aesthetics.”

Berry has organized the exhibition around four areas of exploration in our living and working environments: ergonomics, white collar work, graphic communications and the home.

Berry’s background made him an ideal resource in putting together this exhibition. He was involved with Herman Miller for 16 years, including a period of time as vice president of communications and liaison with the Eames Office as well as through his interaction with George Nelson and other major designers.

Berry founded a national professional design association, led the public relations introduction of the Aeron chair and generated recognition for Herman Miller as one of Fortune magazine’s Most Admired Companies in America.

Today, Berry is the director of Design West Michigan and a national and international authority on the work of George Nelson and Ray and Charles Eames.