Brooks Stevens: The Most Famous Designer You've Never Heard Of

Join Studebaker National Museum curator Kyle Sater for an exploration into the life and works of Milwaukee-based industrial designer Brooks Stevens, who styled everything from the wide-mouth peanut butter jar to the famous Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. The talk is split into two parts: part covers Stevens’s vehicle designs—including his work for Studebaker—while part two surveys his work on household appliances, architecture, brand design, and more.

About the Channel:
The Studebaker National Museum is devoted to sharing the story of the automotive and industrial history of South Bend and the greater region through the display and interpretation of Studebaker vehicles along with related industrial artifacts. The Collection also includes seven objects designated as “National Treasures” including the carriage Abraham Lincoln rode to Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination, and a carriage used by the Marquis de Lafayette during his farewell tour of United States in 1824. Our Vision is to spark the imagination and ignite interest and passion for design, innovation, and overall impact of the automobile and its related industries.

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Contact Us:
Phone: [phone]
Address: 201 Chapin Street, South Bend, IN 46601

[JudyScarbeck]

My childhood home which was built on the west side of South Bend in 1957 had a formica countertop with that design that you showed in the video. The whole presentation was very interesting. Thanks so much!

[jasontoms]

I've owned both 63 & 64 Larks and it has always amazed me how Brooks changed the design from one year to the next on such a limited budget.
Thanks to the museum for helping to maintain his legacy.

[OldsVistaCruiser]

Two of the Sky Dome cars run on the Reading & Northern in PA today. (Reading is pronounced "redding")

[kh]

Obviously, our narrator is not from the Milwaukee area or even from Wisconsin, for that matter.
FUN FACTS
1. Evinrude is pronounced exactly as it is spelled, EV-in-rude, not even-rude.
2 Oscar Mayer is pronounced MY-er, not May-or, so that tells me you've never even:
a. eaten an Oscar Mayer Wiener
b. owned or played an OM Wiener Whistle
c. heard or sung the OM Wiener Song
d. heard or sung the OM Bologna Song
3. The concept of Planned Obsolescence has been attributed to General Motors executive, Alfred P. Sloan Jr in 1924
4. Also, the man's name is Brooks Stevens, with an S, as opposed to Steven.🙄