Dreyfuss, a native of Brooklyn, New York City, is one of the celebrity industrial designers of the 1930s and 1940s who pioneered his field. Dreyfuss dramatically improved the look, feel, and usability of dozens of consumer products. Sometimes compared to Raymond Loewy and other contemporaries, Dreyfuss was much more than a stylist; he applied common sense and a scientific approach to design problems, making products more pleasing to the eye and hand, safer to use, and more efficient to manufacture and repair. His work helped popularize the role of the industrial designer while also contributing significant advances to the fields of ergonomics, anthropometrics and human factors.
Dreyfuss began as a Broadway theatrical designer. Until 1920, he apprenticed under Norman Bel Geddes, who would later become one of his competitors. In 1929, Dreyfuss opened his own office for theatrical and industrial design. His firm met with commercial success, and continued as Henry Dreyfuss Associates for over four decades after his death.
Several WestcloxBig Ben alarm clocks (1931–1956). The style 3 (1931), 4 (1934), 5 (1939) and 6 (1949) Big and Baby Ben cases were all designed by Dreyfuss.[1]
In 1955, Dreyfuss wrote Designing for People. A window into Dreyfuss's career as an industrial designer, the book illustrated his ethical and aesthetic principles, included design case studies, many anecdotes, and an explanation of his "Joe" and "Josephine" anthropometric charts. In 1960 he published The Measure of Man, a collection of ergonomic reference charts providing designers precise specifications for product designs. In 1965, Dreyfuss became the first President of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). In 1969, Dreyfuss retired from the firm he founded,[5] but continued serving many of the companies he worked with as board member and consultant. In 1972 Dreyfuss published The Symbol Sourcebook, An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols. This visual database of over 20,000 symbols continues to provide a standard for industrial designers around the world.[citation needed][6]
On October 5, 1972, the bodies of Henry Dreyfuss (aged 68) and his wife and business partner Doris Marks Dreyfuss (aged 69) were found dead in the garage at 500 Columbia Street in South Pasadena, California by Dr. Edward Evans, the family physician. They committed suicide together. Authorities reported the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning. Lieut. John R. Simmons, chief of the detective bureau of the South Pasadena police, reported that notes had been left. A note instructed the Dreyfuss's maid to call Dr. Evans upon her arrival this morning. Another note held the key to the carriage house and instructions to enter. Dr. Evans reported the deaths to the police at approximately 8:10 A.M. The couple was survived by their son, John A., and their two daughters, Ann and Mrs. George C. Wilson Jr..[7][8][9] Mrs. Dreyfuss was terminally ill at this time.
References
^Stoddard, Bill. "Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Advertising History". ClockHistory.com.
^ abDrury, George H. (1993). Guide to North American Steam Locomotives. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Company. p. 271. ISBN0-89024-206-2.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Dreyfuss.
Video on Dreyfuss's design for Honeywell thermostat and for his Bell Telephone, at Wikimedia Commons
December 28, 2022
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For the Swiss chemist and inventor of Celanese see Henri Dreyfus Henry Dreyfuss March 2 1904 October 5 1972 was an American industrial design pioneer Dreyfuss is known for designing some of the most iconic devices found in American homes and offices throughout the twentieth century including the Western Electric Model 500 telephone the Westclox Big Ben alarm clock and the Honeywell round thermostat Dreyfuss enjoyed long term associations with several name brand companies such as American Telephone and Telegraph John Deere Polaroid and American Airlines Henry DreyfussBornMarch 2 1904Brooklyn New York U S DiedOctober 5 1972 aged 68 South Pasadena California U S OccupationIndustrial designerSpouseDoris Marks DreyfussChildren3 Contents 1 Career 1 1 Designs 2 Later life and death 3 References 3 1 Bibliography 4 External linksCareer EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Dreyfuss a native of Brooklyn New York City is one of the celebrity industrial designers of the 1930s and 1940s who pioneered his field Dreyfuss dramatically improved the look feel and usability of dozens of consumer products Sometimes compared to Raymond Loewy and other contemporaries Dreyfuss was much more than a stylist he applied common sense and a scientific approach to design problems making products more pleasing to the eye and hand safer to use and more efficient to manufacture and repair His work helped popularize the role of the industrial designer while also contributing significant advances to the fields of ergonomics anthropometrics and human factors Dreyfuss began as a Broadway theatrical designer Until 1920 he apprenticed under Norman Bel Geddes who would later become one of his competitors In 1929 Dreyfuss opened his own office for theatrical and industrial design His firm met with commercial success and continued as Henry Dreyfuss Associates for over four decades after his death Designs Edit One of the NYC Hudsons given a streamlined casing of Henry Dreyfuss s design to haul the 20th Century Limited Hoover model 150 vacuum cleaner 1936 Several Westclox Big Ben alarm clocks 1931 1956 The style 3 1931 4 1934 5 1939 and 6 1949 Big and Baby Ben cases were all designed by Dreyfuss 1 New York Central Railroad s streamlined Mercury train both locomotive and passenger cars 1936 2 New York Central Hudson locomotive for the 20th Century Limited 1938 2 Popular Democracity model city of the future at the 1939 New York World s Fair at the Trylon and Perisphere 280 Park Avenue in Manhattan Styled John Deere Model A and Model B tractors 1938 Wahl Eversharp Skyline fountain pen 1940 Royal Typewriter Company s Quiet DeLuxe late 1940s Bell System telephones Western Electric 500 series desk and wall telephones 1949 1972 Princess telephone 1959 Model 1500 10 digit touchtone 1963 Model 2500 12 digit touchtone 1968 present and the Trimline telephone 1965 present Two American steamships SS Independence and SS Constitution for American Export Lines 1951 2 Honeywell T87 the Round circular wall thermostat 1953 present Spherical Hoover model 82 Constellation vacuum cleaner which floated on an air cushion of its own exhaust 1954 Hoover model 65 convertible vacuum cleaner 1957 John Deere 1010 2010 3010 and 4010 tractors 1960 Bankers Trust Building at 280 Park Avenue in Manhattan New York City with Emery Roth amp Sons 1963 3 American Airlines branding 1960s 4 Polaroid SX 70 Land camera 1972 Later life and death EditIn 1955 Dreyfuss wrote Designing for People A window into Dreyfuss s career as an industrial designer the book illustrated his ethical and aesthetic principles included design case studies many anecdotes and an explanation of his Joe and Josephine anthropometric charts In 1960 he published The Measure of Man a collection of ergonomic reference charts providing designers precise specifications for product designs In 1965 Dreyfuss became the first President of the Industrial Designers Society of America IDSA In 1969 Dreyfuss retired from the firm he founded 5 but continued serving many of the companies he worked with as board member and consultant In 1972 Dreyfuss published The Symbol Sourcebook An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols This visual database of over 20 000 symbols continues to provide a standard for industrial designers around the world citation needed 6 On October 5 1972 the bodies of Henry Dreyfuss aged 68 and his wife and business partner Doris Marks Dreyfuss aged 69 were found dead in the garage at 500 Columbia Street in South Pasadena California by Dr Edward Evans the family physician They committed suicide together Authorities reported the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning Lieut John R Simmons chief of the detective bureau of the South Pasadena police reported that notes had been left A note instructed the Dreyfuss s maid to call Dr Evans upon her arrival this morning Another note held the key to the carriage house and instructions to enter Dr Evans reported the deaths to the police at approximately 8 10 A M The couple was survived by their son John A and their two daughters Ann and Mrs George C Wilson Jr 7 8 9 Mrs Dreyfuss was terminally ill at this time References Edit Stoddard Bill Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Advertising History ClockHistory com a b Drury George H 1993 Guide to North American Steam Locomotives Waukesha Wisconsin Kalmbach Publishing Company p 271 ISBN 0 89024 206 2 White Norval Willensky Elliot Leadon Fran 2010 AIA Guide to New York City 5th ed New York Oxford University Press p 317 ISBN 978 0 19538 386 7 Designer of 1960s American Airlines logo tells Businessweek what he really thinks of AA s new logo Sky Talk Archived from the original on 2017 09 15 Retrieved 2017 09 14 Henry Dreyfuss Associates People Collection of Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Dreyfuss Henry 1972 Symbol Sourcebook An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols JONES ROBERT A 7 May 1997 Our Dreyfuss Affair Los Angeles Times Retrieved 16 May 2017 Henry Dreyfuss Noted Designer Is Found Dead With His Wife The New York Times South Pasadena CA 6 October 1972 Retrieved 16 May 2017 Henry Dreyfuss Academy Stamp amp Autograph Archived from the original on 2020 08 01 Retrieved 2021 11 27 Bibliography Edit Dreyfuss Henry Symbol Sourcebook An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols New York John Wiley amp Sons 1984 ISBN 0 471 28872 1 Dreyfuss Henry Designing for People Allworth Press illustrated edition 2003 ISBN 1 58115 312 0 Flinchum Russell Henry Dreyfuss Industrial Designer The Man in the Brown Suit Rizzoli 1997 ISBN 0 8478 2010 6 Innes Christopher Designing Modern America Broadway to Main Street Yale University Press 2005 ISBN 0 300 10804 4External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Dreyfuss Video on Dreyfuss s design for Honeywell thermostat and for his Bell Telephone at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Dreyfuss amp oldid 1128012215, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
