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

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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

2018.143.22

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Linen (Material)

Color

Ocher (Color)
White (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 49.75 in
Width: 37.5 in

Inscriptions

on side of fabric: [SCHNEE] ASSOCIATES "WIREWORKS" "RUTH ADLER DESIGN" FOR ADLER SCHNEE ASSOCIATES "WIREWORKS on paper tag: SCHNEE & SCHNEE INC. / [...] / "Wireworks" / 27" Repeat [?] ochre / 1 color print on sheer linen / white / A Ruth Adler Design 1950
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    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.