Cooper hewitt

Aaron Douglas

On black background, five scenes of a pair of feet in ballet points. Each pair is in one of the five basic positions of ballet. Separating each of these pairs of feet is a single work in text which reads: NEW/ YORK/ CITY/ BALLET.

A branch of the Smithsonian Institution, this is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design. The museum possesses one of the largest design collections in the world. The collection is international in scope and ranges from one-of-a-kind to mass-produced items and includes rare books, furniture, ceramics, glassware, architectural drawings, metalwork and jewelry.

In celebration of World Pride, June Object of the Day posts highlight LGBTQ+ designers and designs in the collection. In a 1916 profile published in Vanity Fair, Paul Thévenaz was described as a painter and a dancer. The article also identified the Swiss-born double threat as the cult leader of a movement called Rhythmician, an

In celebration of National Design Month, October’s Object of The Week posts honor past National Design Award winners. This post was originally published on July 9, 2017. This wallpaper by Geoff McFetridge somewhat resembles a circuit board with its minimal rendering of visual elements, but the title, “Lines Forrest,” clearly sets the record straight that

When Louis C. Kalff was hired by Philips in 1925, the company was one of the largest producers of lightbulbs in the world. Kalff created a brand identity for the company, including the iconic logo. For this poster, Kalff illustrated a car whose piercing bright headlights illuminate the scene. The stylized arcs and angles reflect

posters | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Poster, A Subway Poster Pulls, 1947; Designed by E. McKnight Kauffer (American, 1890–1954); Published by New York Subway Advertising Company (New York, New York, USA); Screenprint; 76.2 × 116.8 cm (30 × 46 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer, 1963-39-119; Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

In 1977 Miami’s South Beach lay in ruins: unkempt and forgotten by time. In less than 50 years, the district had gone from a lively and glamorous area to one that was run down and boarded up. With preservation in mind, a Miami Beach resident and mechanic by the name of Woody Vondracek set out