Russel Wright 1935 Coffee Urn
The future did not always look like it does today. Predictions of what could be is of course influenced by what is imagined at the time. In the 1930s, science fiction movies had a strong impact on the fantasies of creators and consumers alike. This urn, a practical item that kept coffee warm and at the ready, looks as if it had been a prop in a talkie that foresaw a bright and technically enhanced future. The talented designer created many household objects, yet interestingly he may be better known as the man who published a book with his wife, describing a modern, functioning and comfortable lifestyle. He was the first designer to do so. In his book as in his design work, he described a home that would be filled with sensible and useful objects and that would basically take care of itself. The urn is an outstanding example of that concept.