As a wise man once said .... from the mightiest pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, who doesn’t enjoy a good sit?
This ca. 1947 catalog from the Proctor Electric Company advertised the company's 'never lift' iron and ironing board, which was designed to be used while seated. It is part of Hagley Library's Marshall B. Johnson research collection of industrial design and housewares (Accession 2268).
Johnson, an industrial designer, worked for some of the most well-known small appliance companies and designed many popular consumer products as well as often doing their graphic and packaging design.
He began working at Black & Decker, Inc., designing portable power tools and lawn and garden power tools. He went on to work as a corporate industrial designer for ALCOA, and later as a designer of small appliances and cookware for Wear-Ever, Proctor Silex, and Hamilton Beach, as those companies merged and evolved through the years.
The Marshall B. Johnson Research Collection for Industrial Design and Housewares consists of Johnson's career files and artifacts from the various companies for which he worked, historical and research materials on the companies and their products, files on industrial designers, and Johnson's personal papers, which include materials on his family, childhood, education, interests, and other activities.
You can view a selection of materials from this collection online now by clicking here to visit its page in our Digital Archive.