Out of the Shadows: The Work of Marianne Brandt at Ruppelwerk

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 School of Design, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.

2 University of New South Wales Global, Kensington, Australia.

Abstract

Marianne Brandt is renowned for some of the most iconic design objects associated with the Bauhaus, the highly influential early 20th century design school in Germany that was one of the cradles of Functional Modernism. However, this work has overshadowed her later role as an in-house designer with German company Ruppelwerk. In-house designers manage the design process from within the company and the role demands a unique set of skills. To develop an understanding of Brandt’s practice, an analysis of Ruppelwerk objects and other historical materials was conducted, supported by the authors’ own first-hand experience as in-house designers. The research revealed Brandt’s thorough understanding of manufacturing techniques and her project management expertise. The outcomes of Brandt’s time at Ruppelwerk demonstrates a shift from a visual language of the 19th century to designs that reflected 20th century modernism and one of the first examples of a designer practicing within the unique constraints of a single company. This role in a manufacturing company during the 1930s confirms Marianne Brandt as one of industrial design’s earliest and most important pioneers.

Keywords


Blechschmidt, K. (2019). Marianne Brandt und hier tatikgiet in der metallwarenfabrik Ruppelwerk GMBH Gotha. KulTourStadt Gotha GmbH, Brühl 4, 99867 Gotha. Brandt, M. (1971). Letter to a younger generation. In E. Neuman (Ed.) Bauhaus and Bauhaus People, Van Nostrand Reinhold, p. 158.
Dubberly, H. (2012). What can Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive teach us about designing. Interactions, 19(3), p. 82-85. https://doi.org/10.1145/2168931.2168948 Edwards, C. (2016). The Bloomsbury encyclopaedia of design. Bloomsbury Academic.
Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2016). The story of design: From the palaeolithic to the present. The Monacelli Press.
Gorman, C. R. (2003). 1873: Christopher Dresser, principles of decorative design. In C. R. Gorman (Ed.). The industrial design reader. Allworth Press, p 29-32.
Halen, W. H. (1990). Christopher Dresser. Phaidon Christie’s, Oxford.
Heskett, J. (1980). Industrial design. Oxford University Press.
Kemp, K., (2009). Dieter rams: Early works. In Rams, D., Ueki-Polet, K. & Kemp, K. (Eds.) Less and more: The design ethos of Dieter Rams. Gesalten Verlag.
Lee, Y., & Joo, J. (2015). How a design executive officer can craft an organizational culture. Design Management Journal, 10(1), p. 50–61. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/10.1111/dmj.12022
Lucie-Smith, E. (1983). A History of Industrial Design. Phaidon.
McDermott, R., & Pandolfo, B., (2019). Marianne Brandt: designer of icons or ‘real’ industrial designer? Impact! From Baahaus to Ikea, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney, IKEA x UTS Future Living Lab and the Goethe Institute. http://www.ikeaxuts.org/McDermott_Pandolfo.pdf
Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (2021). AEG electric kettle designed by Peter Behrens. Accessed 17 June. https://collection.maas.museum/object/156120
Oshinsky, S. (2006). Christopher Dresser (1834 – 1904), Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Accessed June 20. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cdrs/hd_cdrs.htm
Otto, E. (2019). Marianne Brandt 1893 - 1983, In Krautwurst, M., Otto, E., Rossler, P., & Schierz, K. 4 “Bauhausmädels”: Gertrud Arndt, Marianne Brandt, Margarete Heymann, Margaretha Reichardt. Sandstein Verlag, p. 87-119.
Rawsthorn, A. (2007). The tale of a teapot and its creator. New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/style/16iht-design17.1.8763227.html
Sellers, L. (2017). Women Design. Frances Lincoln.
The Met. (2021). Christy Sugar Bowl. Accessed June 18.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/492722
Victoria and Albert Museum, (2021). Toast Rack. Accessed June 28.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123540/toast-rack-dresser-christopher/
World Design Organization, (2021). Definition of industrial design. Accessed June 28. https://wdo.org/about/definition/