Appearance is Everything

One of the most dynamic jet airliners ever designed was Convair's 990. The design screams speed, and many pilots felt they were in a very special class to command such a plane. Echoing these accolades, it was best showcased in the American Airlines livery. Like its slightly smaller, older brother, the 880, with its "fighter bomber's" nose, was known for setting speed records. They were the fastest subsonic airliners until the Concorde. 

The narrow-body 990 arrived too late to compete with the Boeing 707 or Douglas DC8. It was a failure in America, with fewer than forty being manufactured during its short, ten-year career. With its thirsty J-79 turbojets, it could not carry enough passengers to justify long flights. It was more efficient in many foreign countries, Swissair being the biggest overseas purchaser of the airliner. Though Convair officially marketed the aircraft as the Coronado, only Swissair officially adopted and marketed the type under that specific name. 

This classic American Airlines scheme, a carryover from the prop days, exudes style and excitement. From the fighter-like nose cone to the stovepipe jets to the four anti-shock Whitcomb body pods on the wing's trailing edge, it was truly a unique beauty. A classic example of when outward appearance overshadows many inner flaws. One cannot truly judge a beautiful book cover by its contents.

Raymond Loewy Again

Though International Harvester was steeped in truck manufacturing, the industrial designer Raymond Loewy was commissioned in 1935 to revitalize their image. The result was the clever "head-on tractor view" logo representing the company's farming heritage. The black represents the tires while the red is the tractor body with the square block over the eye likely the spring-tensioned seat. 

A career overview of  Loewy.

Something Else Altogether

Upon its introduction in 1958, the futuristic Philco Predicta was the world's first swivel-screen television. It was designed by Catherine Winkler, Severin Jonnaffen and Richard Whipple. The picture tube (CRT) could be separated from the rest of the cabinet. There were several cabinet or pedestal model options. The Philco Predicta Princess model cost around $180. However, the Philco Predicta Pedestal version (above), sold for a whopping $460. Needless to say, only the wealthy could afford one. The Pedestal cabinet was created by Winkler and Whipple. The sets could be had as 17" or 21" screens. Ford Motor Company purchased Philco at the end of 1961. Philco is now the Philips brand.

Bethlehem

 

My design and construction for a contemporary Christmas promotional graphic. The entire unit is approximately 36" wide and made from white foamcore board, then airbrushed. There are four linear sections cut out and each attached to one another by half-inch adhesive foam pads. The photographer and I placed a blue background sheet behind the design. Using a single light source between the layers, it was shot in various exposures to get the desired effect. The red "sand wave" was entirely by accident due to the dark exposure setting.

Charles Wysocki

 

Charles M. Wysocki, Jr. (1928-2002) was an American painter, whose works depict a stylized version of American life of yesteryear, mostly during the horse and buggy era. Born in Detroit, Michigan, in spent a two-year hitch in the US Army before entering the Art Center School in Los Angeles under the G.I. bill. There, he focused in the field of commercial art, spending four years in Detroit where his illustrations were used in Dodge trucks, Unocal, Carnation, and Dow Chemical Company advertisements. He returned to Los Angeles where he helped to form a freelance advertising agency. Because of his wife's heritage in the San Fernando Valley, Wysocki came to appreciate a simpler, more rural life. Together they made many trips to New England, which served to nurture his interest in early American folk art. He continued his lucrative commercial artwork for a time, but eventually devoted all of his attention to this new interest. In his Americana paintings, Wysocki usually included an American flag, something many admires enjoyed locating.

An Electrolux Vacuum And Laser Weapon

 

The Electrolux Model 30 canister vacuum, designed by Lurelle Guild, originated in 1937 and was one of the most popular high-end vacuum cleaners in its day, setting an industry standard. It sold for around $70 or about $1,100 today. A considerable amount of money in any decade. The sturdy model was the first American-only Electrolux and produced until 1954. A modified Electrolux was famously used as a laser weapon by the underground creatures in the film, "Superman and The Mole Men" (1951). Those familiar with the hour-long film will not be surprised it was shot in twelve days.

Electrolux Corporation USA was founded in 1924 by Gustaf Sahlin, a Swedish businessman who emigrated to the United States. Aerus LLC, Dallas, Texas, is the successor to Electrolux USA. The Electrolux name is again used in the U.S. by the Electrolux Group of Sweden, which until 2016 also manufactured Eureka vacuum cleaners.

A Tidy Lincoln

 

American auto enthusiasts probably are aware that Ford Motor Company's studies for the 1961 "bullet" Thunderbird looked a lot like the Lincoln Continental up front---a stretched version for the T-bird---which lost its slab sides and squared fenders to the Lincoln. But the family resemblance in the grille design remained. 

As beautifully subtle as the Lincoln was from three-quarter views, the side profile has become a bit dated over time due to the technology and designers of the era. The symmetry of the interior cabin right in the middle suggests it is either coming or going. Above is my suggestion of what Lincoln might have done to its first generation of new Continentals---shortening the overhang on the front and slicing about eight inches off the rear. This makes for a slightly asymmetric balance of the cabin. The subtle change presents a more cohesive design overall.