Candlestick c. 1936

Philip Johnson made this drawing of a candlestick, using graphite and colored pencil, sometime in the twentieth century. On first glance, this image presents itself as a straightforward rendering of a domestic object. But the candlestick, and this drawing of it, can tell us something about the social life of design. Consider, for example, the rise of industrial design as a recognized profession in America during Johnson's lifetime, and the ways in which designers sought to bring aesthetic principles into the mass production of household goods. Note the way that Johnson has included precise measurements of the candlestick, indicating a concern with standardization and replicability. This drawing may have served as a design proposal, intended to convince a manufacturer of the candlestick's aesthetic and commercial value. The history of design is a history of institutions, professions, and consumer culture. Historians consult trade publications, company records, and marketing materials to better understand how objects like this one come into being and circulate within society.