"Wireworks" Fabric Swatch Designed by Ruth Adler Schnee, 1950

01

Artifact Overview

Pioneering designer Ruth Adler Schnee was trained in architecture and first began designing textiles when her architectural projects demanded more modern designs than were available on the market. This need launched her career in textile design. Both natural and man-made environments inspire her work. This textile was inspired by the fireplace tools she encountered during a trip to the studio of renowned sculptor Alexander Calder.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Swatch

Date Made

1950

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2018.143.21

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Linen (Material)

Color

White (Color)
Green

Dimensions

Height: 27.625 in
Width: 47.5 in

Inscriptions

on paper tag: SCHNEE & SCHNEE INC. / [...] / WIREWORKS / ON BLEACHED LINEN
02

Related Content

  • "Pins and Needles" Fabric Swatch Designed by Ruth Adler Schnee, 1949-1964
    Set

    Ruth Adler Schnee's Textiles

    • 38 Artifacts
    Pioneering modern designer Ruth Adler Schnee’s bold textiles have broad appeal. Her furnishing and drapery fabrics were favorites of the everyday consumer and leading architects alike, including Minoru Yamasaki, Paul Rudolph, and Buckminster Fuller. Adler Schnee’s textiles, which feature vivid color and abstracted organic forms, added whimsy and depth to the sleek, minimal aesthetic popular in the mid-century period.