Vintage Design by H. Creston Doner

[5thprofession47]

Recently I did a search of my late grandfather's name in Google and it turned up a number of US patents for his designs. He was the head of design for the Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF) Company in Toledo Ohio for several years and was quite an amazing fellow.

In addition to these designs he was the creator of "The Kitchen of Tomorrow" that was featured in National Geographic in 1944 and years later it traveled with the Smithsonian Institute.

His clothing was almost entirely bespoke and he was a founding member of the American Society of Beau Brummels.

H. Creston Doner


Here are some of the patents listed with Google:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=XpFxAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=f4BxAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=y6ZxAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=H7RvAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=gIBxAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=iSZIAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

http://www.google.com/patents?id=dSFsAAAAEBAJ&dq=h+creston+doner

IDSA entry:

1903-1991

U.S. industrial designer born in Nevada, Ohio he was raised on farms in Nebraska and Pennsylvania. With little formal education after high school, Doner worked as a youth installing radios and working on oil wells in Oklahoma. He returned to Ohio in 1932 to open a design office in Akron, working for Goodrich Rubber Company. In 1937, Doner was invited to Toledo by Libbey-Owens-Ford (L-O-F) Glass Company, and directed the Department of Design there from 1938 to 1967 in architectural and interior design applications, and promotional campaigns for color and lighting effects. He supervised the design of their warehouses, showrooms, offices, and retail stores, as well as the design of a new corporate image for truck fleets, building signs, business forms, and advertising materials. Doner's best known project was the (L-O-F) 1942 Kitchen of Tomorrow, displayed across North America, and featured in national media. During World War II he conceived the "Daylight Color System" to improve working conditions for war production in L-O-F plants.

Doner was flamboyant in appearance and behavior, designing an English Sport Jacket in 1929 in Oklahoma, and had it tailored to his own specifications. In 1954, he was selected as one of the 25 men in the U.S. to become a charter member of the American Society of Beau Brummels. He also created and staged fashion shows, always impeccably dressed in smart jacket and ascot.

He was a founding member of the International Design Conference in Aspen in 1951, Chairing the Public Relations Committee 1954-1955, and serving as a member of the National Executive Committee 1954-1956. Doner was active in the Industrial Designers Institute (IDI) from 1954, serving as its national treasurer in 1945-1946, national secretary in 1958-1959, as president in 1959-1960, and as national Public Relations Committee Chair in 1961. He was awarded Fellowship in 1959, which was honored as IDSA Fellowship in 1966 after IDI became part of that organization.

Doner was also active in the Illuminating Engineering Society from 1953, serving in a number of committees through 1969, and in the Design Directors in Industry, becoming a Fellow in 1953 and national secretary 1959-1960.

A man of many talents, Doner converted his simple pre-fabricated home into an exotic oriental pavilion, doing all remodeling with his own hands. The home was featured in House Beautiful magazine in June 1961.

Doner was a member of the Advisory Board of the Caribbean Display and Design center, San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1960-1961, and chaired the Advisory Board of the Showcase National Corporation for the United States and Canada in 1962-1967. He was a consultant to the architects and designers of Expo '67, the designers of HemisFair '68 in San Antonio, the designers of Tomorrowland for Disneyland in California, and the New York World's Fairs in 1939 and 1964. He also served as consultant to designers for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).

Upon his retirement in 1968, he opened a consulting office in Toledo. From 1970 he was a member of the Toledo Society of Communicating Arts.

http://new.idsa.org/webmodules/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=1951&z=106

 

[k lasater]

Uncle Doner

I was so excited to find your post! My Aunt Dib--Doris Johnson Drown--was married to Doner from roughly 1956-66. As I was born in 1964, I don't really remember him, but my family does. I only recently learned of his many accomplishments. I have sought out and found copies of Gentlemen's Quarterly from 1960, which had a two-page spread about Doner, including a full-page color photo of Dib & Doner in outfits that he designed and, as my mother told me, my Aunt most likely made. I also have a copy of House Beautiful--much easier to find--from July of '61 that featured their home in Toledo. My Aunt is about 83 now and lives in Florida, and I have gotten a few wonderful stories from her, such as hostessing a cocktail party for Danish royalty at the Plaza in NYC. As I am an aficionado of Midcentury Modern design, this recent knowledge has been somewhat overwhelming, especially considering that my Aunt had been a poor farm girl from Hornbeak, Tennessee. I knew that Doner had been married before, but I didn't know whether he had any children. I respect your privacy and don't request any response from you, but when I ran across your post I just had to contact you.

Sincerely, R. Kevin Lasater

 

[5thprofession47]

I was so excited to find your post! My Aunt Dib--Doris Johnson Drown--was married to Doner from roughly 1956-66. As I was born in 1964, I don't really remember him, but my family does. I only recently learned of his many accomplishments. I have sought out and found copies of Gentlemen's Quarterly from 1960, which had a two-page spread about Doner, including a full-page color photo of Dib & Doner in outfits that he designed and, as my mother told me, my Aunt most likely made. I also have a copy of House Beautiful--much easier to find--from July of '61 that featured their home in Toledo. My Aunt is about 83 now and lives in Florida, and I have gotten a few wonderful stories from her, such as hostessing a cocktail party for Danish royalty at the Plaza in NYC. As I am an aficionado of Midcentury Modern design, this recent knowledge has been somewhat overwhelming, especially considering that my Aunt had been a poor farm girl from Hornbeak, Tennessee. I knew that Doner had been married before, but I didn't know whether he had any children. I respect your privacy and don't request any response from you, but when I ran across your post I just had to contact you.

Sincerely, R. Kevin Lasater

Sorry for the late reply. I don't visit this site too often. Interesting story. Granddad had two daughters both of whom are still alive and well. I don't know if and when you'll read this so I'll turn on the email notification feature so I am able to respond sooner the next time.