Raymond Loewy Collection
The Raymond Loewy Collection, 1956-1974, contains reports and drawings related to the industrial designer's work on space transportation systems for NASA and designs for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car.
Biographical / Historical Note
Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) began his career in industrial design in 1929, when he designed the case that surrounded the Gestetner duplicator machine. Loewy is also credited with originating the term streamlining, which he defined as "beauty through
MoreRaymond Loewy (1893-1986) began his career in industrial design in 1929, when he designed the case that surrounded the Gestetner duplicator machine. Loewy is also credited with originating the term streamlining, which he defined as "beauty through function and simplification." Throughout his working years, Loewy created designs ranging from postage stamps and cigarette packages to refrigerators, Studebaker automobiles, and spacecraft components. Additionally, he designed logos for corporations and organizations, including Shell International, Exxon, and the United States Postal Service. From 1963 to 1973, Loewy was retained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to be a habitability consultant for their Saturn-Apollo and Skylab projects.
Among Loewy’s automobile design projects was the 1957 Cornell-Liberty Safety Car. A joint endeavor between Cornell Aeronautical Labs and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, this concept car featured innovative safety features including seat belts, head rests, and padded interiors, some of which can be found in modern automobiles. The Cornell-Liberty Safety Car is in the collection of The Henry Ford, and can be seen in the "Driving America" exhibit.
Over the years, Raymond Loewy founded three companies with a focus on industrial design: Raymond Loewy and Associates, New York; Raymond Loewy International, London; and Compagnie de l'Esthetique Industrielle, Paris. With his partner William Snaith, they also worked on retail store design, with customers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, J.L. Hudson, and Macy's.
Biographical note adapted from the following sources: -"The Father of Industrial Design Raymond Loewy," accessed on 11 July 2016 at http://www.raymondloewy.com/about/html -"1957 Cornell-Liberty Safety Car," accessed on 11 July 2016 at https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/139983
LessScope and Content Note
The Raymond Loewy Collection, 1956-1974 (2.95 cubic ft.), contains reports and drawings related to the industrial designer’s work on space transportation systems for NASA, and designs for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car.
The bulk of the material...
MoreThe Raymond Loewy Collection, 1956-1974 (2.95 cubic ft.), contains reports and drawings related to the industrial designer’s work on space transportation systems for NASA, and designs for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car.
The bulk of the material (2.00 cubic ft.) consists primarily of studies and reports created by Raymond Loewy / William Snaith, Inc. for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding the habitability of the Skylab orbiting space station and a space shuttle orbiter vehicle.
Drawings and sketches compose the second portion of the collection (0.95 cubic ft.). Of special note are the 12 drawings related to the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car from 1957, which is part of the collections of The Henry Ford.
LessCollection Details
Object ID: 2001.74.1
Creator: Loewy, Raymond, 1893-1986
Inclusive Dates: 1956-1974
Size: 2.95 cubic ft. (3 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language: English
Collection Access & Use
Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit
Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.
Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Digitized Artifacts From This Collection
In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
circa 1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.5
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Sketch of Ergonomic Seating for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
circa 1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.9
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch of Ergonomic Seating for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Report, "Habitability Study, Earth Orbital Space Stations, Prepared for NASA," 1968
Artifact
Book
Date Made
1968
Summary
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) enlisted Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc. for its Skylab project. Loewy and his staff -- as habitability consultants -- created diagrams, drawings, mockups, and reports for how best to live and work in space. Not every idea was practical, but the designs helped NASA consider new ways to make the space station more human-friendly.
Creators
Object ID
2001.74.1.15
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Report, "Habitability Study, Earth Orbital Space Stations, Prepared for NASA," 1968
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Overhead Sketch of Roof Pillars for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
circa 1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Object ID
2001.74.1.12
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Overhead Sketch of Roof Pillars for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.3
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
September 1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Keywords
Object ID
2001.74.1.7
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Sketch for the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Cutaway Sketch of Seating Positions in the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
Artifact
Design drawing
Date Made
circa 1956
Summary
Industrial designer Raymond Loewy produced a series of design drawings for the "Safety Car" built in 1957 by Cornell University and the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The finished concept car incorporated more than 60 safety improvements from seat belts, to padded interior surfaces, to accordion-style folding doors.
Creators
Object ID
2001.74.1.11
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cutaway Sketch of Seating Positions in the Cornell-Liberty Safety Car, 1956
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
