Viktor Schreckengost who died last year at the grand age of 101, was regarded by some as the father of industrial design. Every adult in America has ridden in, ridden on, drunk out of, stored their things in, eaten off of, been costumed in, etc… and there is no going past his gorgeous pedal cars. Some of his work can also be seen online at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
posted by tellurian on Apr 28, 2008 - 9 comments

Dinner with hippos. Richard Baron Cohen (not, as far as I can tell, this guy), inspired by memories of this book, commissioned a dinner service from a pattern designed for Catherine the Great, and hired a photographer who wrote this blog as she traveled the world shooting hippos.
posted by casarkos on Sep 17, 2006 - 13 comments

Forget the world for a minute, darlings. It's suppertime. Let's use our fabulously round and colorful dishware from America's premier champion of casual living, the handsome Russel Wright. An artist, industrial designer and marketing genius, Wright was a pioneer in spun aluminum before his innovative American Modern dinnerware (designed for the masses, not the classes) made him a star. Housewives would line up for blocks when a new shipment arrived. Some of his pieces are truly museum-quality. Cooper-Hewitt Museum quality, to be exact. Only 3 weeks left in the exhibition. And if you see Carmen, one of the world's top Russel Wright collectors, do tell her hello.
posted by mediareport on Aug 22, 2002 - 8 comments