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Walter Dorwin Teague

American, 1883-1960

Along with Raymond Loewy, Norman Bel Geddes, Henry Dreyfuss and others, Walter Dorwin Teague pioneered the field of industrial design in the early decades of the 20th century. In his designs for furniture and objects that ranged from table lamps to radios, Teague helped defined the Machine Age aesthetic — the streamlined style that was the American counterpart to the French Art Deco movement.

     Teague grew up in rural Indiana, the son of a Methodist minister who was also a tailor. The young Teague was skilled at drawing, and in 1903, after finishing high school, he saved some money and moved to New York, where he took classes at the Art Students League. He later found success as a typographer and an advertisement illustrator. The look of ads in the early 20th century was so far superior to that of the actual products being promoted that manufacturers began consulting with illustrators like Teague about the styling of their goods. Teague’s aesthetic sensibilities were strongly shaped by a trip he had made to Europe in 1926, when he toured the Universal Exposition in Paris, buildings by Le Corbusier and a Bauhaus exhibition. On his return home, Teague founded an industrial-design consultancy. The following year, he won his first big client, Kodak, for whom he designed cameras, such as the famed Bantam Special, with its sleek, “speed line” detailing. His firm would go on to design such things as pavilions for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, rail coaches, gas stations, automobiles, corporate logos and a Boeing airliner.

     Among collectors, Teague’s products designs are prized not so much for what they do as for what they represent: a moment when design took a hand in fostering a spirit of energy, optimism and progress. Objects such as his Kodak 1A Gift camera, with its Constructivist case and box, have a graphic punch that should find a place in many a vitrine. His 1930s glassware lines for Steuben still make a striking presence on the bar or the dinner table. The jewels among Teague collectibles are his 1939 Bakelite-shade table lamp for Polaroid (made before the firm began producing cameras) and his striking designs for the Sparton Radio Corporation, most notably the rare and stunning Bluebird model, with its circular glass and chrome frame. Prices for Teague’s work vary widely by medium, style and condition. But as you can see from these pages, the designs of Walter Dorwin Teague are emblems of both a time and a distinctive style. They are cynosures for any true collector.

Pair of Embassy Art Deco Wine Glasses by Walter Dorwin Teague. 1939
By Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in Bellport, NY
The" Embassy "Hand Blown Wine Glass by" Libby Glass Company" was designed by Walter Dorwin Teague with Edwin W Fuerst 1930s. The Libby Glass Co hired Fuers...
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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Cut Glass

1930s Polaroid Table Lamp, Model 114, USA
By Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Art Deco, machine age Polaroid table lamp made of thick bakelite and casted aluminium. Desk lamp, model 114, designed in 1939 for the Polaroid Corporatio...
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1930s American Machine Age Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Aluminum

1930s Polaroid Table Lamp, Model 114, USA
1930s Polaroid Table Lamp, Model 114, USA
H 10 in W 11.88 in D 12.5 in
Walter Dorwin Teague Burled Wood Coffee Table for Hastings Furniture
By Hastings, Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Walter Dorwin Teague for Hastings burled wood coffee table with painted waterfall legs. Beautifully refinished! Probably one of the rarer piec...
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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Wood, Birdseye Maple

Polaroid Desk Lamp by Walter Dorwin Teague
By Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic Machine Age design in aluminum, enameled metal and bakelite. Rare complete lamp with original celluloid diffuser, socket and switch, in great working condition. Paper label on...
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1930s American Machine Age Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Acrylic

Polaroid Desk Lamp by Walter Dorwin Teague
Polaroid Desk Lamp by Walter Dorwin Teague
H 12.5 in W 11.5 in D 9.5 in
Dorwin Teague & Giudice, Rare Polaroid Modern Desk Lamp
By Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in Paris, FR
Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960) & Frank Del Giudice (1917-1993) Desk Lamp, Model 114, designed in 1939 for the Polaroid Corporation Bakelite and Aluminium Labeled still present o...
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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Aluminum

Streamline Modern Cabinet by Walter Dorwin Teague
By Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in San Francisco, CA
Streamline Modern cabinet designed by Walter Dorwin Teague for Hastings. Originally a server for a dining suite but perfect as a bar cabinet or stora...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Dorwin Teague

Materials

Burl

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Walter Dorwin Teague furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Walter Dorwin Teague furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Walter Dorwin Teague furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Walter Dorwin Teague were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 1930s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Faries Lamp Co., Leroy C. Doane, and Consolidated Lamp & Glass Co.. Prices for Walter Dorwin Teague furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,750 and can go as high as $6,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,500.

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