KemWeberandtheStreamlineModerneinfluenceattheDisneyStudiosin1939ByDaveBossert

Concept design for The Walt Disney Studios main restaurant (commissary), 1939; Kem Weber; ©UCSB

WhenKemWeberwashiredbyWaltDisneytobethechiefdesigneroftheDisneyStudiocomplexinBurbankin1939,hewasalreadyontheleadingedgeoftheStreamlineModernmovement.TounderstandwhytheDisneyanimationfurnitureissorevered,onehastolookatWeber’searliercareerandthedesignmovementsthatinfluencedhimtomorefullyappreciatethefurniturethathedesignedforDisney.By1910,KarlEmanuelMartin(KEM)WeberwasanapprenticetoleadingfurnituredesignerBrunoPaul,agreatmodernistthinkerofthedayinGermanyandAustria.PleasedwithWeber’swork,PaulrecommendedthathedesigntheGermansectionofthe1915Panama-PacificExpositioninSanFrancisco.InMay1914,WeberthenleftGermanyforSanFranciscotosupervisetheconstructionattheExposition.ButinAugust1914,withtheoutbreakofWorldWarI,theconstructiondrawingshebroughtwithhimwereconfiscatedbytheU.S.Government,andWeberwasstrandedintheBayArea.Unabletoreturnhome,Webertookonaseriesofjobs,includingdecoratingflowerpots,designingadsforanoutdooradvertisingcompany,workingasalumberjack,andevenoperatingachickenfarmuntilthewarendedin1918.HebrieflyopenedadesignstudioinBerkeley,California,butthatdidn’tlastbecauseofprejudiceagainstanythingofGermaninfluence.ButCalifornia“...allowedhimtotakewhathehadlearnedandwhat

hehadbeentrainedinoftheseearlyproto-modernistideasofreductionismandfollowingalongwithindustrializedideasrejectingclassicism,rejectinghistoricalprecedent.Inthatregard,Californiawaskindoftheperfectplacetopracticethiskindofphilosophy,”saidPeterLoughrey,anappraiserforPBS’sAntiquesRoadshowanddirectorofmoderndesignandfineartatLosAngelesModernAuctions.Afterthearmisticewassigned,WebermovedtoSantaBarbara,wherehedesignedinteriorsforhomesandproducedfurniture,woodcarvings,draperies,andpaintings.HisworkwaspredominatelyforhomesinSantaBarbaraandMontecitothatweremostlyintheSpanishColonialRevivalstyle.Fromthere,hemovedtoLosAngelesin1921andwenttoworkasadraftsmaninthedesignstudioatBarkerBros.Furniture.Withinayear,hewaspromotedtoartdirector.WeberbecameaU.S.citizenin1924.Bythistime,theArtDecomovementwasinfullswing.ShortforArtsDécoratifs,ArtDecooriginatedinFranceduringthemid-1910sandcombinedthemoderniststylesthatwereemerginginWesternEuropewithinfluencesfromArtNouveau,theBauhausmovement,andCubism.ThetermArtDecowascoinedattheExpositionInternationaledesArtsDécoratifsetIndustrielsModernes(InternationalExpositionofModernDecorativeandIndustrialArts),heldinParisin1925,whichWeberattended.ArtDecohadseveralvariantstoit,mostnotablyZigzagModerneandStreamlineModerne,bothofwhichweremadelessformalbyAmericandesignersastheyblendedelementsoftheArtsandCraftsmovementfromtheturnofthetwentiethcentury.

ZigzagModernedetailsoftheEmpireStateandChryslerBuildingsinNewYorkCity.

TheZigzagModernewasahighlydecorativeformwithzigzagdesignedbuildingsadornedwithgeometricornamentationonthefacades.ItwasinspiredbydesignelementsfromancientEgypt,Rome,Asia,andGreece,withaspectsofindustrialization—theMachineAge.ThisstylewasmoredistinctivetourbanareassuchasNewYorkwithskyscrapersliketheEmpireStateBuilding,theChryslerBuilding,andRadioCityMusicHall.Inurbancenterstherewasaverticalitytodesign.“Peoplelike[designer]PaulFrankelinNewYork,whohadabuilt-incommunityofpeoplewhoweresupportinghisideasoftheskyscrapermentality,ofbuildingbig,buildingtall.SomeonelikeFrankelwasobsessedwiththetechnologyandindustryaroundhimwhichwasbuildingbiggerandbiggerbuildings.So,hisfurnitureandhisdesignsnaturallyhadatall,thin,elegantstructuralismtothem.OuthereinCaliforniaitwasnotnecessarytobuildtall.Wehadplentyofland,youcouldbuildout.AndIthinkthatatitscorethisisthebasisofKemWeber’sgeniusatthattime.Almosteverythinghedesignedhadasenseofhorizontalitytoit,whichwasobviouslyindirectcontrasttotheverticalityofFrankelontheEastCoast,”saidLoughrey.

KemWeberinhisLosAngelesdesignstudiocirca.1935;©UCSB

In1926,afterreturningfromEurope,WebercreatedtheModesandMannersshopwithinfurnitureretailerBarkerBros.ThiswasoneofthefirstdepartmentsintheUnitedStatesdedicatedentirelytomodernfurnitureandaccessories,manyofwhichwerehisdesigns.ThefollowingyearheopenedhisowndesignstudioinHollywood.Henotonlydesignedfurnitureandproducts,butalsobuildingsandintegratedinteriorsforhotels,shops,andprivatehomes.Then,in1928,Weberhadtheopportunitytodesignathree-roomapartmentatMacy’sSecondInternationalExpositionofArtandIndustrythatbroughthimnationalnotoriety,whichresultedincommissionsfromcompaniesacrossthecountry.Weber’sstatureasanarchitectandforward-thinkingdesignerwasrisingashebecamealeadingfigureintheModernedesignmovement,becomingthechairmanofthedepartmentofindustrialdesignofthenewlyorganizedArtCenterSchoolinLosAngelesin1931.Astheaestheticsofartmodernecontinuedtochange,WeberwasfullyimmersedinwhatbecameknownasStreamlineModerneby1934,theoriginsofwhatisknownasWestCoastModerne,amorecasualformofthemodernmovementmostassociatedwiththeCalifornialifestyle.

Kem Weber's 1928 Macy's Second International Exposition of Art and Industry award-winning apartment design. It is an example of Streamline moderne style. Note the clean lines and lack of ornamentation. ; Courtesy of The Library of Congress

TheStreamlineModernestylewasacontinuingevolutionofArtDecothatemergedfromtheGreatDepressionandfocusedmoreonstrippingawayunnecessary

ornamentationandstreamliningforms.Itfocusedonsmoothcurvedwalls,roundededges,andlonghorizontallineswithanemphasisonacleanlook.“So,wehavethesesoftroundededges,whichactuallycomeoutoftheArtsandCraftsmovementthatprecededit,”saidPaulaSigman-Lowery,archivistandhistorian.

Therewerenauticalelementssuchascircular“porthole”windows,steelrailingsand“asignaturetrioofhorizontalspeedstripessuggestingmotion”thatactedasadesignthreadintheholisticthinkingofcreatingthestructure,interiors,andfurnishingofasingleproject.TheStreamlineModernestylewasadirectreflectionofthegrowthofmoderntransportationduringthe1930s—automobiles,planes,trains,andoceanliners—whichusedaerodynamicdesignelementstocreateaclean,sleekappearance.“So,theprevailingindustryatthatmomentwastransportation.Thatwaskindofthemostmodernistindustryatthetime.SteamshiplineswereconstantlytryingtooutdoeachotherandgofasteracrosstheAtlantic.Therewasthisideaofusingtechnologyandusingmanufacturingideastoconstantlycreateabettership,”saidLoughrey.“Airplanesthemselveswereintheirinfancyandwerebecomingafascinationofmodernistsbecausehereisanobjectthathasnoroomfordecoration.ThefuselageofanairplanehasgottobefunctionalandforsomeonelikeKemWeber,thefascinationwiththedisciplineofthattypeofobjectdrovehisinterestinarchitectureanddesign.”TheseweredesignelementsthatWeberembracedandareevidentinhisworkincludingthecabininteriorhedesignedforaprivateairplane.ItwasthoseprojectsandinspirationsthatinfluencedtheworkhedidonWaltDisney’snewanimationstudiocomplexinBurbanklaterinthatdecade.

ModulardeskforthemastersittingroomattheBixbyHouseinKansasCity,Missouri.

Weber’sfortuneswereupanddownduringtheGreatDepression,andhispositionattheArtCenterSchoolaffordedhimtheabilitytohavearegularincomeandtocontinuehisindependentdesignwork.HedesignedsetsforParamountPicturesandestablishedtheTemposhopatBarkerBros.,inwhichhedesignedtheshowroomandmuchofthefurniture.Hedesignedclocks,lightfixtures,anddozensofchairsandoccasionaltablesforavarietyofcompaniesthatwereinapricerangethatappealedtoabroadmiddle-classbuyer.Indescribingthefurnitureinaninterview,Webertoldareporter,“Itisamatter,aswell,ofharmonizinglinesandlow,restfultones,andasensationofunlimitedspaceeveninasmallroom.”Weberalsodesignedhigh-endpiecesforwealthierclientsincludingallthefurnishingsfortheBixbyHouseinKansasCity,Missouri,forWalterEdwinBixbySr.,asuccessfulinsuranceexecutivewhohelpedestablishKansasCityLifeasoneofthenation’sleadinginsurancefirmsatthetime.

In1936,WeberwroteaguestcolumnintheLosAngelesTimesonclassicismindesignwithrespecttoprogress.Inthearticlehewrites,“Atruemodernpieceoffurnitureisdesignedtoincorporatealltheadvantagesofmodernmaterials,productionfacilitiesandconstruction,andifitisgooddesignitwillgiveabeautifulresult.”TheAirLineChairwasaperfectexampleofthatdesignphilosophy.Webercontinued,“Itwillbegoodtolookat,practicalinitsusesandbecomingtoourselves.Itwillbelessexpensiveandbetterinquality.”ThatsumsupallthefurniturethatWeberdesignedfortheDisneystudiocomplex—itisgoodtolookataswellasverypracticalsincethedesignswerearrivedatwithinputfromtheartiststhatwouldbeusingthefurniture.

ThisessayisapartialextractfromDaveBossert’slatestbook,KemWeber:Mid-CenturyFurnitureDesignsfortheDisneyStudios,fromTheOldMillPress(2018).AllfootnotesarelistedintheEndnotessectionofthebook.

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Inhisauthoritativenewwork,KemWeber:Mid-CenturyFurnitureDesignsfortheDisneyStudios,DaveBossertonceagainshowsafusionoferuditionandpassionforhissubject,introducinganewgenerationtoaremarkableandsadly-neglectedartist,anddocumentingthesignificantandtimelesscross-disciplinarydesignportfoliohecreatedforWaltDisney.KemWeber:Mid-CenturyFurnitureDesignsfortheDisneyStudiosisatreasureforartists,aficionadosofindustrialdesign,fansofmidcenturystyle,andDisneybuffs;aremarkablestoryofthecollaborationbetweentwoingeniousvisionaries,andalexiconoftheagelesscreativeconsequenceoftheirassociation.—JeffKurtti,AuthorandDisneyHistorian

________________________________________________________________________“DaveBosserthonorstheimportantunder-noticedthingsmostofusseldomthinkabout.Hereheis,afteradistinguishedcareerasaDisneyanimatorandexec,he’swrittenthisbookabouttheinnovativestudiofurniturethatmadeanimatedproductionpossiblefrom1939untildigitaltechnologychangedtheprocesses.Whatafascinatingread!”—HarryYoutt,PoetandAuthor

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“Afewyearsago,DaveBossertauthoredabeautifulbookaboutanobscurechapterinthehistoryofDisneyStudios:atimewhenWaltDisneyandSalvadorDalicollaboratedonananimatedproject.[Dali&Disney:Destino].NowDavehonorsthelatearchitectanddesigner,KemWeberandcatalogsthecustomstudiofurniturehedesignedwithWaltDisneyinKemWeber:Mid-CenturyFurnitureDesignsfortheDisneyStudios.ThankyouDaveforyourmeticulousattention!”—JudithSimonPrager,Author:WhattheDolphinSaid

________________________________________________________________________“DesignershavelongacknowledgedKemWeber'sfurnitureforWaltDisney’sstudioinBurbankasbeautifulyetutilitarianmid-centurymodernmasterpieces.Now,forthefirsttime,DisneyartistandauthorDaveBossertrevealsthethoughtfulapproachwithwhichWeberandWaltDisneyhimselfdevelopedthesepieces,andexplorestheircontributiontothecreationoftheanimatedclassicsbelovedtheworldover.”—PaulaSigmanLowery,AuthorandDisneyHistorian

________________________________________________________________________“KemWeber’sfuturisticyetfunctionalfurniturewasmasterfullydesignedandskillfullycraftedforjustonepurpose:tostreamlinethecreationoftheworld’smostentertaininganimatedmovies.Longoverlooked,thisbooktellsthestorybehindthesestylishandelegantwoodenworksofart,whichmakestheheartofthisanimationveteranskipabeat!”–HansPerk,AnimationDirector&Historian