Henry Dreyfuss was an American industrial designer known for his streamlined designs for telephones, vacuum cleaners, typewriters, and other household items. He also designed the Mercury train for the New York Central Railroad. This insulated thermos cafe is emblematic of his designs. Crafted of aluminum, the horizontal banding and the handle, which mimics the profile of the Mercury locomotive, both give a sense of modern style to a utilitarian object.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Thermos carafe
Designer:Henry Dreyfuss (American, New York 1904–1972 South Pasedena, California)
Manufacturer:The American Thermos Bottle Company (Norwich, Connecticut)
Date:1935
Medium:Enamel, aluminum, cork
Dimensions:5 7/8 in. × 6 in. × 5 in. (14.9 × 15.2 × 12.7 cm)
Classification:Metalwork
Credit Line:John C. Waddell Collection, Gift of John C. Waddell, 1998
Accession Number:1998.537.3ab
Marking: (underside, impressed): THE AMERICAN THERMOS BOTTLE CO / NORWICH CONN USA / THE ONLY / THERMOS REG. U.S. PAT. OFFICE NO 539 VACUUM BOTTLE / DESIGNED BY / HENRY DREYFUSS
John C. Waddell, New York (until 1998; his gift to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," May 16, 2000–January 7, extended to February 4, 2001, unnumbered cat. (p. 156).
Newport Beach, Calif. Orange County Museum of Art. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," May 25–August 19, 2001, unnumbered cat.
Flint. Flint Institute of Arts. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," September 14–December 16, 2001, unnumbered cat.
Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," January 11–April 7, 2002, unnumbered cat.
Charlotte. Mint Museum of Craft and Design. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," May 3–July 28, 2002, unnumbered cat.
Tulsa. Philbrook Museum of Art. "American Modern, 1925–1940: Design for a New Age," August 23–November 17, 2002, unnumbered cat.
London. Victoria and Albert Museum. "Art Deco 1910–1939," March 27–July 20, 2003, unnumbered cat.
Toronto. Royal Ontario Museum. "Art Deco 1910–1939," September 15, 2003–January 4, 2004, unnumbered cat.
California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. "Art Deco 1910–1939," March 13–July 5, 2004, unnumbered cat.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. "Art Deco 1910–1939," September 19, 2004–January 9, 2005, unnumbered cat.
Gilbert Seldes. A Record of Industrial Designs by Henry Dreyfuss, 1929 through 1946. New York, [1946], unpaginated, ill.
Russell Flinchum. Henry Dreyfuss, Industrial Designer: The Man in the Brown Suit. New York, 1997, p. 112, ill. (similar design).
David A. Hanks and Anne Hoy. American Streamlined Design: The World of Tomorrow. Paris, 2005, pp. 76–77, 269 n. 51, nos. 25 and 26, ill. (color; Brill collection, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts).
Henry Dreyfuss (American, New York 1904–1972 South Pasedena, California)
1938
Resources for Research
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Met's engagement with art from 1890 to today includes the acquisition and exhibition of works in a range of media, spanning movements in modernism to contemporary practices from across the globe.
