Teague documentary synopsis

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Teague: will be a sixty-minute documentary about the life and work of the founding father of American industrial design, Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960)

Walter Dorwin Teague is considered one of the founding fathers of industrial design as well as one of the most prolific American designers in history. His most notable design work includes the beloved Kodak cameras, the distinctive Marmon 16 automobile, Texaco’s art deco gas stations, the luxurious Boeing Stratocruiser aircraft interior, classic Steinway pianos, elegant Corning glassware, and the futuristic 1939 World's Fair in New York.

Although his amazing career is known among designers, very little is known about who he was and how he became “the Dean of Design.” How did a poor pastor’s son from a rural Quaker town in Indiana transform into a celebrity designer in New York? How did he go from checking hats at the Manhattan YMCA to being a successful advertising illustrator? What led him to create a new modern profession, merging art and industry?

This documentary will tell the story of his life, his rise to prominence from humble origins, his mid-life transformation, and the stories behind some of his greatest designs. It will be a tribute to the incredible career of an ambitious, risk-taking, hard-working man who helped shape a modern America.

This story will be told chronologically through the decoding of a mysterious drawing that Teague did in 1926. Visual evidence will include photographs, drawings, animation, dynamic shots of products and spaces, and interviews with family, colleagues, and prominent designers.

For more information on how you can help, contact me.  jason.morris(at)wwu.edu

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