In celebration of the USA’s Independence Day, this is an eclectic smattering of the country’s finest design exports.
Eames Shell Chairs
The Eameses
Herman Miller
Shinola Shoe Polish
Shinola was originally established in 1907 in Rochester, New York. Trading for over fifty years, the company was best known for its shoe polish. Shinola made considerable business strides throughout the era of the Great Depression and in the years that followed. Sadly its image and branding were tarnished in the wake of the now famous colloquialism: “you don’t know shit from Shinola.” After that time Shinola’s sales declined and the company ceased trading in 1960. The brand name was purchased by a conglomerate in 2011 and Shinola set up home in Detroit city. Nowadays it makes watches, leather goods, bicycles, stationery and of course, shoe polish. Shinola’s products are predominantly made in the USA.
The Baseball Glove
The Steele Canvas Basket
The Glass House and Philip Johnson
Tractor Stools
Artwork by Bruce Nauman
The Sunburst Clock
The Nelson Marshmallow Sofa
The Pecan Pie
The Rainbow Flag
The Rainbow Flag was designed by American artist and civil rights activist Gilbert Baker. The famous flag was created in the attic gallery of San Francisco’s Gay Community Center, where a team of around thirty volunteers dyed, cut, sewed and ironed many yards of cotton. Two Rainbow Flags were raised on 25 June 1978 at the United Nations Plaza in downtown San Francisco. MoMA acquired the Rainbow Flag in 2015, introducing this universal symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride into its authoritative and considerable design collection.
The American Flag
Have a happy Fourth of July.
You're reading 14 American Design Exports in Celebration of the Fourth of July, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.