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Product Timeline

Image Product Designer Date Summary Key words
Berliner Gramophone
Berliner Gramophone Berliner, Emil 1896

An improved version of the Gramophone, a talking machine invented by Emil Berliner (1851-1929)...

Emil Berliner, phone, US Gramophone Company
First Dial Telephone
First Dial Telephone Strowger, Alman Brown 1897

The first dial telephone was introduced in 1897 by the Automatic Electric Company, founded in...

Alman Brown Strowger, Automatic Electric Company, phone
Curved Dash Oldsmobile
Curved Dash Oldsmobile Durant, William C. 1901

The first US gasoline-powered auto to be produced in quantity, the 425 Runabout, was introduced...

Olds Motor Works, vehicle, William C.Durant
First Harley Davidson
First Harley Davidson Harley, William 1903

The first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was produced in Milwaukee in 1902 and launched in 1903 by...

vehicle, William Harley
Hotpoint Electric Iron
Hotpoint Electric Iron Richardson, Earl H. 1905

This electric iron, introduced to the market in 1905 by Earl H. Richardson, arranged the heating...

Earl H. Richardson, Houseware
Victrola Model XVI
Victrola Model XVI Berliner, Emil and Johnson, Eldridge R. 1906

Copy The Victor Talking Machine Company, founded in 1901 by Emil Berliner and Eldridge R....

Emil Berliner, Talking Machine
GE's First Toaster
GE's First Toaster General Electric 1908

General Electric's GE First Toaster was a two-slice model with a porcelain base and a warming...

General Electric, Houseware
Table Fan
Table Fan Behrens, Peter 1908

This table fan, designed by Peter Behrens, was introduced in 1908 by Allgemeine Elektricitäts...

Houseware, Peter behrens
Settle by Gustav Stickley
Stickley, Gustav Stickley, Gustav 1909

Gustav Stickley (1857-1942) was a designer and follower of the Arts and Crafts movement who...

furniture, Gustav Stickley
Hughes Electric Range
Hughes Electric Range Hughes, George A. 1910

The Hughes Electric Heating Company was founded in Chicago by George A. Hughes (1871-1944), the...

Houseware, Hughes Electric Heating Company
Model T Ford
Model T Ford Ford, Henry 1913

n 1913, Henry Ford perfected the mass- production process with his re-designed Model T. Inspired...

Henry Ford, vehicle
Corning Pyrex Bakeware
Corning Pyrex Bakeware Littleton, Dr. Jesse T. 1915

In 1915, Corning Glass introduced the first glass ovenware, made of a new, clear, heat-resistant...

Bakeware, Corning Pyrex Bakeware, dishware, Glass, Glassware
Hotpoint-HughesElectric Range
Hotpoint-HughesElectric Range Hughes, George A. 1922

This 1922 Hotpoint range, made by the Edison Electric Company is typical of the period. The...

Edison Electric Company, Houseware
MT 8 Table Lamp
MT 8 Table Lamp Wagenfeld, Wilhelm and Jucker, Karl Jacob 1923

This MT 8 table lamp with a hemispherical glass globe was designed by Bauhaus students Wilhelm...

Lighting, Wilhelm Wagenfeld
The First Chrysler
The First Chrysler Motors, Chrysler 1924

In 1924 Chrysler became the last successful new car company start-up in the US for over 70 years...

Chrysler, vehicle, Walter P. Chrysler
Vienna Cafe Chair
Vienna Cafe Chair Thonet, Michael 1925

The Vienna Café chair No. 14 is probably the most successful example of Thonet bentwood...

furniture, Michael Thonet
Waters-Genter Toaster
Waters-Genter Toaster Waters-Genter Company 1926

This was the first consumer pop-up toaster, called the Toastmaster. It was introduced in 1926 by...

Houseware, Waters-Genter Company
G.E. Monitor Top Refrigerator
G.E. Monitor Top Refrigerator Steenstrup, Christian 1927

In 1927, General Electric introduced this "Monitor Top" refrigerator, so-named by the public...

Christian Steenstrup, General Electric, Houseware
Kamden Writing Table Lamp
Kamden Writing Table Lamp Bredendieck, Hin 1928

This lamp produced by the Leipzig firm of Körting & Matthieson, was designed by Hin...

Hin Bredendieck, Leipzig firm of Körting & Matthieson, Lighting
Kleinauto Type 32
Kleinauto Type 32 Porsche, Dr. Ferdinand 1932

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) developed this inexpensive rear-engine small car called the...

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, NSU Company, vehicle
Briggs Dream Car
Briggs Dream Car Tjaarda, John 1933

At the Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition (1933-1934), Ford displayed a concept vehicle...

John Tjaarda, vehicle
Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3 Kindelberger, James H. (Dutch) 1935

The Douglas DC-3, an airliner which carried 21 passengers, was first flown in 1935. It was...

James H. (Dutch) Kindelberger, Transportation
American Modern
American Modern Wright, Russell 1935

This line of furniture in natural maple was designed by Russell Wright, manufactured by Conant...

Conant Ball Company, furniture, Russell Wright
Lincoln Zephyr
Lincoln Zephyr Tjaarda, John and Bonbright, Howard 1936

The Lincoln Zephyr, designed by John Tjaarda and Howard Bonbright of the Briggs Manufacturing...

John Tjaarda, vehicle
Model K KitchenAid
Model K KitchenAid Arens, Egmont 1937

The Hobart Manufacturing Company introduced a KitchenAid Model "K" stand mixer for $55, designed...

Egmont Arens, Hobart Manufacturing Company, Houseware
S-1 Locomotive
S-1 Locomotive Loewy, Raymond in collaboration with Cret, Paul Philippe 1938

In 1938, the Pennsylvania Railroad introduced the world's largest steam locomotive, the S-1 and...

Raymond Loewy, Transportation
RCA Mod TRK 12 TV set--1939
RCA Television Sets Vassos, John 1939

RCA introduced America's first consumer television receiver sets at the New York World's Fair in...

Electronics, John Vassos, RCA
Willys Jeep
Willys Jeep The American Bantam Car Company 1941

Many know that today's ubiquitous Jeep can trace its design to a famous World War II military...

The American Bantam Car Company, vehicle
Jens Risom Chair
Jens Risom Chair Risom, Jens for Hans Knoll 1943

This chair, of simple wood construction using surplus military webbing, was designed by Jens...

furniture, Hans Knoll, Jens Risom
Wurlitzer image-1946
Wurlitzer Fuller, Paul 1946

In 1946 Wurlitzer introduced its Model 1015 jukebox, designed by industrial designer Paul Fuller...

Audio, Paul Fuller
Eames Chairs LCW and DCW
Eames Chairs LCW and DCW Eames, Charles 1947

These molded plywood chairs with compound curved seats and backs and rubber shock mounts were...

Charles Eames, furniture, Herman Miller Furniture Company
Eames Fiberglass Chairs
Eames Fiberglass Chairs Eames, Charles 1948

The first successfully mass-produced molded plastic chairs, these were molded in fiberglass...

Charles Eames, furniture, Herman Miller Furniture Company
Tucker
Tucker Tucker, Thomas 1948

A new US postwar car, the Tucker 48, was introduced by Preston Thomas Tucker (1903-1957), who...

Preston Thomas Tucker, vehicle
Polaroid Model 95
Polaroid Model 95 Walter Dorwin Teague Associates 1948

The Polaroid "Land Camera", the first to develop its own prints in minutes, went on sale at...

Camera, Walter Dorwin Teague Associates
Ford
Ford Ford, Henry II 1949

This was one of the most successful post-war car designs, that Ford Motor Company from decline....

Ford Motor Company, vehicle
Margrethe Bowls
Margrethe Bowls Bernadotte, Sigvard 1950

This nesting set of five melamine mixing bowls in various sizes and colors were designed by...

Houseware, Sigvard Bernadotte
Schick Model “20” electric razor
Schick Model “20” electric razor Otto, Carl 1951

In 1951, the Industrial Designers Institute (IDI) a predecessor organization to IDSA, initiated...

Carl Otto, Electronics
The Lamb Handle
The Lamb Handle Lamb, Thomas B. 1952

In 1952, this line of cutlery was introduced into its Cutco product line by Alcas, a subsidiary...

Houseware, Thomas B. Lamb
Flight Bath Scale
Flight Bath Scale DeFano, Don 1952

In 1952, this Model 1500 Flight bathroom scale was designed by Don DeFano, Richard Latham (see...

Don DeFano, Health
Studebaker Coupe
Studebaker Coupe Bourke, Robert E. 1953

This Studebaker Commander Starliner hard-top coupé design was acclaimed by the Museum of Modern...

Robert E. Bourke, vehicle
Servel Wunderbar
Servel Wunderbar Dailey, Donald 1953

Servel, Inc., the sole manufacturer of gas absorption refrigerators since 1926, introduced the...

Donald Dailey, Houseware, Inc., Servel
Bissell Sweepmaster
Sweepmaster, Bissell Balmer, James G. 1954

In 1954, the Sweepmaster, designed by James G. Balmer, Jr., IDSA and Frederick W. Hertzler; and...

Houseware, James G. Balmer, Jr.
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird Burnett, Bill 1955

Ford's Thunderbird, its first sports car, was designed by Bill Burnett, William F. Boyer, and...

Bill Burnett, vehicle
Karman-Ghia Coupé
Karman-Ghia Coupé Ghia, Carrozzeria 1956

Volkswagen of America (just established) introduced its Karmann Ghia coupé in the US. An...

Carrozzeria Ghia, vehicle
Chrysler Look Forward
Chrysler Look Forward Exner, Virgil 1957

A complete new line of Chrysler Corporation cars, including Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler...

vehicle, Virgil Exner
The Museum Watch
The Museum Watch Horwitt, Nathan 1958

In 1947, Nathan Horwitt designed a wristwatch with a plain black face without numerals and a...

Nathan Horwitt, watch
The Secretary
The Secretary Highberger, Samuel M. 1958

The Secretary, a copying machine, designed by Samuel M. Highberger, 32, of Harley Earl, Inc. for...

office, Samuel M. Highberger
Xerox 914 image--1946
Xerox 914 Copier Balmer, James G. 1959

The first automatic office copier to make copies on plain paper, the 914, is introduced by...

James G. Balmer, office, Xerox
Chevrolet Corvair
Chevrolet Corvair Hill, Ron 1960

Chevrolet's new compact car, the Corvair, designed by Ron Hill and GM Styling Staff, entered the...

Chevrolet, Ron Hill, vehicle
IBM Selectric I Typewriter
IBM Selectric I Typewriter Noyes, Eliot 1961

In 1961 IBM introduced a revolutionary electric typewriter, the Selectric I, which replaced the...

Eliot Noyes, IBM, office
Studebaker Avanti
Studebaker Avanti Loewy, Raymond 1962

With the company on its last legs in 1961, new Studebaker president Sherwood H. Egbert called on...

Raymond Loewy, vehicle
Kodak Instamatic 100
Kodak Instamatic 100 Zagara, Frank A. 1963

In 1963, Kodak introduced its Instamatic 100 camera designed by Frank A. Zagara of Kodak staff....

Camera, Frank A. Zagara, Kadak
Model 800 Kodak Carousel
Model 800 Kodak Carousel Harvey, D.M. 1964

Kodak’s carousel projector was a dramatic innovation that established a new typeform for...

Camera, D.M. Harvey, Kodak
Royal Traveller Attaché Case
Royal Traveller Attaché Case Samhammer, Claire 1965

This elegant Royal Traveller attaché case, designed by Claire Samhammer of Design West, Inc. for...

Claire Samhammer, luggage
Amana Radarange
Amana Radarange Raytheon Manufacturing Company 1967

Amana Refrigeration, a subsidiary of Raytheon Manufacturing Company, in 1967 introduced this...

Houseware, Raytheon
Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet
Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Walter Dorwin Teague Associates 1969

The Boeing 747 "jumbo-jet" made its first public flight in 1969. It carried 342-490 passengers...

Transportation, Walter Dorwin Teague Associates
Canon Pocketronic Calculator
Canon Pocketronic Calculator Haggerty, Pat 1971

This collaboration between Canon and Texas Instruments (TI) is the first handheld battery-...

Computer, Pat Haggerty
Ergon Chair
Ergon Chair Stumpf, William 1976

The Ergon chair, with an innovative gas-cylinder post mount to absorb impact of "heavy" sitters...

furniture, William Stumpf
The Dustbuster
The Dustbuster Gantz, Carroll 1979

The Dustbuster, the most successful product in Black & Decker history, was introduced in...

Black & Decker, Carroll Gantz, Houseware
Narrow Aisle Reach Truck
Narrow Aisle Reach Truck Tompkins, David 1980

The Crown Rider Reach Series Trucks were designed by David Tompkins, IDSA, Frank Wilgus, Nilo-...

David Tompkins, vehicle
Motorola DynaTAC 8000x
Motorola DynaTAC 8000x Rudy Krolopp’s design team 1984

The world’s first commercial handheld cellular phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, received...

Motorola, phone, Rudy Krolopp
Apple IIc Computer
Apple IIc Computer Apple Inc. 1984

Introduced in April 1984, the IIc was Apple’s first compact model, the first with user-friendly...

Apple, Computer
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus Telnack, Jack 1986

The Ford Taurus and its companion, the Mercury Sable, were designed by Jack Telnack, Fritz...

Ford, Jack Telnack, vehicle
NeXT Computer
NeXT Computer Jobs, Steve 1988

NeXT, Inc. was founded in 1985 by Steve Jobs and a number of former Apple employees, after Jobs...

Computer, NeXT, Steve Jobs
Good Grips
Good Grips Stowell, Davin 1989

OXO International—founded in 1989 by Sam Farber—introduced Good Grips kitchen utensils, with...

Davin Stowell, Houseware, OXO
Mazda Miata MX5
Mazda Miata MX5 Yamamoto, Kenichi 1989

The Mazda Miata was conceived in 1976 by Kenichi Yamamoto, head of R&D at Mazda in Japan,...

Kenichi Yamamoto, vehicle
Apple PowerBook
Apple PowerBook Brunner, Robert 1991

The Apple PowerBook was one of the most revolutionary computers ever made. It changed the way...

Apple, Computer, Robert Brunner
Aeron Chair
Aeron Chair Stumpf, Bill 1994

The Aeron ergonomic chair was designed by Bill Stumpf, FIDSA (1936-2006), of Stumpf, Weber +...

Bill Stumpf, furniture, Herman Miller
Personal Harbor Workspace
Personal Harbor Workspace Steelcase Inc 1995

This design won a gold in the 1995 IDEA national design awards sponsored by IDSA and Business...

Steelcase Inc, Workspace
1998 VW.jpg
Volkswagen Beetle Mays, J 1998

The new Beetle ‘Concept 1’ was unveiled in 1994 by Volkswagen at the North American...

J Mays, vehicle, Volkswagen
iPods.jpg
Apple iPod Ive, Jonathon 2001

In 2000, digital music players were either big and clunky or small and useless with terrible...

Apple, Audio, Jonathon Ive