Alexander Girard
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Alexander Girard (May 24, 1907 – December 31, 1993), affectionately known as Sandro, was an architect, interior designer, furniture designer, industrial designer, and a textile designer.


Early life

He was born in
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to an American mother from
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
and a French-Italian father. He was raised in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Italy and in 1917 he was sent as a boarder to Bedford Modern School in England leaving in 1924 to study architecture in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. After also graduating from the Royal School of Architecture in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, Girard refined his skills in both Florence and New York. In 1932, his studio was opened in New York and he moved it to Detroit in 1937.


Career

Girard is widely known for his contributions in the field of
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
design, particularly through his work for Herman Miller (1952 to 1973), where he created fabrics for the designs of George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames. His work also includes designing the La Fonda del Sol Restaurant in New York (1960), the Herman Miller Showplace: T&O (Textiles and Objects) (1961),
Braniff International Airways Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 un ...
(1965), and the Girard Foundation (1962), which houses his extensive folk art collection. He and his wife, Susan Girard, amassed a remarkable collection of artifacts consisting of folk art, popular art, toys, and textiles from around the world, which is displayed through the Girard Foundation, founded 1962. One of the artists Girard supported was Cochiti Pueblo
potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska * Potters, New Je ...
Helen Cordero Helen Cordero (June 15, 1915 – July 24, 1994) was a Cochiti Pueblo potter from Cochiti, New Mexico. She was renowned for her storyteller pottery figurines, a motif she invented, based upon the traditional "singing mother" motif. Early work ...
, the creator of Storyteller pottery figurines.


Girard at Herman Miller


Herman Miller Textiles Division

In 1952, Alexander Girard was hired to head the fabric and textile division. Girard worked with George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames to form a design team that has influenced the fundamentals of design throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Girard initially established a fabric collection based on his architectural training. His first fabric line consisted of plain upholsteries and geometric drapery prints—stripes, circles, and triangles. He went on to create many more patterns and designs, largely inspired by folk art. He also worked with a 19th-century
textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
he discovered in central Mexico, to create a line of handwoven 100% cotton fabrics. Because of the excellent quality and array of colors available, he developed a range of colorful "mexidots"and "mexistripes" which he used in many of his projects including installation backing, ground for environmental enrichment panels and upholstery. Girard also developed a furniture collection for Herman Miller in 1967 building on his designs for Braniff Airlines' lounge and office furniture which featured a low sight line and interior/exterior shell separate from the seat cushion to maximize varied upholstery. Originals from this collection are rare and have become highly collectible, since they were quite expensive at the time and were in production only for one year. In 1971, he developed 40 screen printed graphics on fabrics for Robert Propst's Action Office 2 System. These Environmental Enrichment panels add a touch of warmth, color, and design to the office environment.


T&O (Textiles and Objects) 1961

This Herman Miller showplace was a unique space filled with textiles and folk art pieces on Manhattan's East 53rd Street. Textiles and Objects was an innovation demonstrating textiles as an integral part of interior displays for both designers and the individual consumer. The showroom also featured folk art Girard collected from around the world. T&O closed in shortly after opening, due to insufficient marketing and a public was not quite ready to add such colorful and exotic objects to the typical 1950s palette of their homes.


Independent projects


Braniff Airways and "The End of The Plain Plane"

In May 1965, Girard began his design work for
Braniff International Airways Braniff Airways, Inc., operated as Braniff International Airways from 1948 until 1965, and then Braniff International from 1965 until air operations ceased, was an airline in the United States that once flew air carrier operations from 1928 un ...
re-branding campaign called "The End of the Plain Plane". This project gave Girard the opportunity to work with textiles, color, and graphics on a grand scale, redesigning everything from the sugar packets to the ticket counters to the color of the planes themselves. He used colors like light and dark blue, beige, ochre, orange, turquoise, and lemon yellow to make the planes recognizable from the ground. Italian couturier fashion designer
Emilio Pucci Don Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colors. Early l ...
designed attendant uniforms. Girard also designed a line of furniture for Braniff's ticket offices and customer lounges. This furniture was also available to the public by Herman Miller in 1967 but was available for one year only.


Restaurants

In 1960, Girard designed every aspect of the La Fonda del Sol restaurant located in Manhattan's Time-Life building in a Latin American and contemporary theme/style, including menus, matchbooks, tableware and the ceramic tiles on the floors and walls. Girard created over eighty different sun motifs found throughout the restaurant. As part of the commission, Charles and Ray Eames were brought in to design a fabric covered fiberglass chair and table, both with a new pedestal design. The chairs were similar to the plastic Eames chairs with a modification to the top silhouette of the fiberglass bucket. Girard was also commissioned by Brody to design the L'Etoile Restaurant (1966) in the Sherry Netherlands Hotel, New York, a French restaurant with austere decor featuring a range of silver and greys featuring glass engraved with the names of French luminaries and daisy shaped tables in the bar. The Compound Restaurant (1967), in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is in a clean modern yet traditional New Mexican style with inlaid Mexicotton ceiling tiles and nichos featuring a mix of folk art and Girard's own designs.


Georg Jensen

In 1956, Just Lunning, president of Georg Jensen, commissioned Girard to design seven table settings for an exhibition on 5th Avenue in New York. Each setting was created around a vignette outlining the personalities and situations of the company at the particular table. He created place mats and dishes specific to the project.


John Deere

Girard was commissioned to create a mural for the
John Deere Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, ...
Company, in the entrance to their administration building designed by Eero Saarinen near Moline, Illinois. The mural is one hundred eighty feet long and eight feet high, created entirely with three dimensional found objects.


The Girard Foundation

In 1962, Girard and his wife established the Girard Foundation in Santa Fe to manage their art collection that numbered over 100,000 pieces, including toys, dolls, icons, and other ethnic expressions. Girard's design work was heavily influenced by his passion for folk art. In 1978, Girard contributed his immense collection to the
Museum of International Folk Art The Museum of International Folk Art is a state-run institution in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It is one of many cultural institutions operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. History The museum was founded by Floren ...
in
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
, United States. The museum opened to the public in 1953 and has gained national and international recognition as home to the world's largest collection of folk art. Th
Girard Wing
houses the popular permanent exhibition, ''Multiple Visions: A Common Bond'', which showcases folk art, popular art, toys and textiles from more than 100 nations. Opening in 1982, this unorthodox and delightful exhibition was designed and installed by Girard, and remains popular with the public.


Additional projects

* Radio cabinets, interiors for Detrola Corporation (1943) * Exhibition design, "Design for Modern Use, Made in U.S.A." Museum of Modern Art (1950) * Rieveschi residence, Grosse Pointe, Michigan (1951) * Miller House, Columbus, Indiana (1953) * Exhibition design, "Good Design" Home Furnishings Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art (1954) * Exhibition design, "Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India" Museum of Modern Art (1954) * "Day of the Dead" documentary film, collaboration with Charles Eames (1956) * Nativity Exhibition, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri * Penthouse apartment for Hallmark Cards, Hallmark Building, Kansas City (1962) * Gregory residence, Wayzata, Minnesota (1963, with architect I.W. Colburn) * Interior design of the campus of St. John's College, Santa Fe, New Mexico (1964) * Indian government commissioned Girard and Eames to design the Memorial Exhibition for Nehru, Delhi, India (1965) * "El Encanto de un Pueblo (The Magic of a People): International Exhibit for Hemisfair, San Antonio, Texas (1968)


Wooden Dolls

Girard Designed the Wooden Dolls in 1952. The Wooden Dolls were used for his Santa Fe home. They were human and animal characters with various colors. After Girard's heirs donated it to the Vitra Design Museum, it was studied and imitated and produced.


Font Design

Girard designed his own typeface and used it in other design works through typography. The fonts he designed are practical, illustrative and readable.


Awards/Recognition

*Gold Medal, Barcelona Exhibition, 1929 *Fabric Competition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1946 *St. Louis Memorial Competition, Winning Team Member, 1948 *Trail Blazer Award, Home Fashion League of New York, 1952 *Silver Medal, Architectural League of New York, 1962 *Elise de Wolfe Award, New York Chapter of American Institute of Interior Designers, 1966 *Governor’s Award, Outstanding Contribution to Fine Arts in New Mexico, 1981 *Designer’s West/Ray Bradbury Creativity Award, 1987


Exhibitions

* Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, ''The Opulent Eye of Alexander Girard'', 2001 *
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is a modern and contemporary art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art, and was ...
, ''Alexander Girard: Vibrant Modern'', 2006


Exhibition 'Alexander Girard: A Designer's Universe'

*Vitra Design Museum, Weilam Rhein, Germany 11 Mar 2016- 22 Jan 2017 *Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA Jan 17 2017- Oct 08 2017 *Hangaram Design Museum, Bloom field Hills, Seoul, South Korea, Dec 2017- Mar 2018 *Museum of Internationala Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA May 5, 2019- Oct 27 2019 *Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California, USA Nov 23 2019- Mar 01 2020 *Franz Mayer Museum, Mexico City Jun 17 2020- October 11, 2020


Gallery

File:Detrola Model 579 (1946).jpg, Detrola Model 579 (1946) radio designed by Girard, made of
plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...
File:INTERIOR OF CUMMINS CORPORATE BUILDING. DESIGNED BY ALEXANDER GIRARD - NARA - 546479.jpg, Girard-designed interior of Cummins Corporate Building File:Miller house, Columbus, Indiana, 1953-57. Living area from terrace - 00351v.jpg, The influential early conversation pit in
Saarinen Saarinen is a Finnish surname of Virtanen type derived from the word 'saari', "island". Notable people with the surname include: * Aarne Saarinen, Finnish politician * Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finnish skier * Aline B. Saarinen (1914–1972), American a ...
's Miller House File:Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe NM.jpg, Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Girard made significant contributions


References


Further reading

* * * * – A 276-page set of essays which describe the content and importance of the Girard collection. The essays are complemented by black and white as well as color plates of collection objects on display at the Museum. * – A 96-page set of essays which describe the Girard collection and its origins. The book, which contains over 100 color plates of objects described in the essays, is currently out of print.


External links


Braniff Flying Colors Historical Page







House Industries Girard Collection
produced in conjunction with the Girard estate and Máximo
House Industries House Industries is a type foundry and design studio based in Yorklyn, Delaware. The company was created in the 1990s in Wilmington, Delaware by co-founders Andy Cruz and Rich Roat. The company is best known for its typeface creations, which have a ...

Alexandar Girard's works in Columbus, Indiana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girard, Alexander 1907 births 1993 deaths Architects from New York City American textile designers Museum founders American people of French descent American people of Italian descent 20th-century American architects People educated at Bedford Modern School American expatriates in Italy 20th-century philanthropists American expatriates in the United Kingdom AIGA medalists