Raymond Loewy's 120th B-Day

Google says happy birthday to Raymond Loewy with their doodle!

The latest MTH catalog includs Northern Pacific F7s in the "Loewy Green" scheme that graced the Vistadome North Coast Limited from 1954 until 1970.  It is elegant, dignified, stylish and totally Loewy. 

His most famous transportation design has now seen more than 50 years of service as the image of America when our president travels. 

And his design looks just as good on a 747 as it did on a 707. 

He designed a lot of great stuff including some striking locomotives.

Add to that the interior of the Concorde and the stylized eagle that graces so many of the USPS mailboxes.

jackson

He was a master at melding art and commerce, especially during the heyday of Art Deco. I cannot think of any other designer that has produced more iconic and classic designs.

So that explains the Google logo this morning!

I know that Raymond Loewy was known for the GG-1 design for the Pennsy RR. Did not know about his other designs for things like airplanes, but would make sense that they look alike.

Lee Fritz

Has to be one of the best Google home screens ever.

Especially like this one:

His design firm did some outstanding designs for Studebaker, namely the '53 hardtop as well as the Avanti. However, he did a poor job of giving credit to those who actually did the specific design work...to the point of publicity photos of him explaining a drawing to the person who actually DID the work (such as Robert Bourke or Bob Koto).

Don't forget those Studebakers.

1953 Starliner

1963 Avanti

Ted you beat me too the punch with Google's doodle, for us train guys at least in my book his most famous design is of the GG-1.

Jack  

And according to Wikipedia he designed the:

Lionel's #497 Coal Loader, 1950 and the

New York City Transit Authority R40 car, whose slant-front design had to be retrofitted with guide rails due to safety concerns, 1967.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Loewy

Raymond Loewy's relationship with the Pennsylvania Railroad began in 1934 and lasted until 1952.  He was responsible for designing items as small as coffee cups and saucers, curtains, menus and match boxes. Loewy created the futuristic designs for the streamlined S-1, GG-1 and T-1 locomotives.  His influence and reach were far.  It was the golden era of railroading and during these years, Loewy and the PRR were one.  Creative design projects assigned to the Loewy firm totaled into the hundreds! 

You're pretty good when you can make even a Coke dispenser look like it could haul a**  

- Mike

Amazing designer.

The 53 Studebaker was designed by Robert Bourke, who worked for Lowey studios. Lowey got the credit for everything that came out of his studios.

I hope Lionel comes out with a Vision line T1 and S1.

Of course Lowey got credit for it. It was his reputation, his name (alone) was on the front door, the bank loans, (he) signed the paychecks, and was responsible for the less than notable efforts as well.

I don't recall the firm being called "Robert Bourke Designs" or "Lowey & Bourke".

jackson

Happy Birthday Ray!!

He even designed cool pencil sharpeners!

Now, I am probably the only one who sees this, but the red PA keystone on the nose looks like pursed lips awash in red lipstick, with the marker-lights as eyes and the headlight the nose.

This is a great thread! I've always been a big fan of his work.

I believe I read that Raymond Lowey's first job for the PRR was to design new garbage cans for Penn Station in NYC. Did any of yinz ever read that ?   Tom

I read that also -- i'd say he came along quite away from that to be considered the father of industrial design here in America.

jackson

I can't even imagine what an Art-Deco, or early-Art-Deco trashcan would look like.

But then again, I couldn't imagine what an Art-Deco subway entrance looked like until I saw them in-person in Paris, which was both a revelation and an education. Yup. So, what do I know.

He designed many of my favorite things.......this being number one......

It has the prow of a ship, the look of a Flash Gordon rocket and reeks of unlimited power on the rails..what could be better?