Pendleton in Madison County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Walter Dorwin Teague / Dean of Industrial Design

1883-1960

Walter Dorwin Teague side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

1. Walter Dorwin Teague side of marker

Inscription. Walter Dorwin Teague Pioneering industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague grew up in Pendleton. He moved to New York City in 1903 and worked as an illustrator. By 1926, he consulted on industrial design projects. He designed for clients including Eastman Kodak, Boeing, and Texaco. In the 1930s, he began applying his expertise to exhibit design, notably at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

Dean of Industrial Design Teague advanced industrial design through writings, lectures, the formation of The Society of Industrial Design, and a 1941 court case which established industrial design as a profession. By the mid-1940s, Teague had industrial design offices on the East and West Coasts. He supported his hometown through regular donations to the Pendleton Public Library.

Erected 2019 by Indiana Historical Bureau • Historic Fall Creek, Pendleton Settlement. (Marker Number 48.2019.1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Indiana Historical Bureau Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.

Location. 40° 0.087′ N, 85° 44.42′ W. Marker is in Pendleton, Indiana

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, in Madison County. Marker is at the intersection of East State Street (State Road 38) and East High Street, on the right when traveling east on East State Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 424 E State St, Pendleton IN 46064, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Carnegie Library (a few steps from this marker); Pendleton Town Hall Explosion (approx. ¼ mile away); Interurban Railroad (approx. 0.3 miles away); History (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cook's Opera House (approx. 0.3 miles away); The A.B. Taylor House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Falls Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); William (Bill) Walker (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pendleton.

Also see . . .
1. Walter Dorwin Teague’s “World of Tomorrow”. Teague credits his time in Pendleton, and particularly a book on the history of architecture from the Pendleton High School library, with setting him on the path that would eventually lead him to become a dominant force in American industrial design. (Lindsey Beckley, Indiana History Blog, May 1, 2019) (Submitted on August 25, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Walter Dorwin Teague, FIDSA. He left advertising in 1926 to open an industrial design firm in New York City and added industrial design to his letterhead in 1927, receiving his first contract with Eastman

Dean of Industrial Design side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

2. Dean of Industrial Design side of marker

Kodak on Jan. 1, 1928. (Industrial Designers Society of America) (Submitted on August 25, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Walter Dorwin Teague / Dean of Industrial Design Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 5, 2023

3. Walter Dorwin Teague / Dean of Industrial Design Marker

Eastman Kodak Beau Brownie cameras image. Click for full size.

Sailko via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0), October 30, 2016

4. Eastman Kodak Beau Brownie cameras

Teague designed the Art deco facade for the Beau Brownie box camera, which was produced between 1930 and 1933.

Sparton radio image. Click for full size.

Sailko via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0), October 30, 2016

5. Sparton radio

This radio was nicknamed the "Bluebird" because of Teague's design.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 25, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.