Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case EDUC, Shelf 10A

Drinking/eating aid

Drawing
January 1968 to December 1968 (Made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of about 10,000 drawings that were produced by Loewy and his studio of six designers when he was working with on the NASA SKYLAB project. This apparatus was intended for feeding through liquid food and drinks for astronauts in anti-gravity environments. The USA's NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) Skylab project during the late 1960s was the most progressive and high profile space-design programme and the styles that developed from its technological and idealistic advances were adopted widely throughout the world and were particulalry prelevant during the late 1960s and 1970s. Loewy was already a highly established designer by this point and was commissioned to work for NASA from 1967 as an habitability consultant for the Apollo Saturn Applications programme, SKYLAB, earth orbiter recuperable shuttle and in advance research and development for large space bases: experimental concepts. The rectangular forms with curved corners and the use of browns and oranges became very popular.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDrinking/eating aid (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour wash and felt tip pen on card
Brief description
Concept design for a NASA Stateroom in a space station
Physical description
A sheet with a head of a man facing left and the liquid delivering apparatus towards his lips.
Dimensions
  • Height: 40.6cm
  • Width: 34.3cm
Style
Production typeDesign
Marks and inscriptions
Front: Signed in ink with artist's monogram and dated: RL 68. Annotated: Button ejects mouthpiece. On back inscribed in pencil: 9LR, and stamped: NASA HQ [National Aeronautical and Space Administration Head Quarters] and Saturn Five Space Station Habitability Study. Raymond Loewy/William Snaith Inc., and numbered: 82
Object history
Bought from exhibition at private commercial gallery

Historical significance: This is one of about 10,000 drawings that were produced by Loewy and his studio of six designers when he was working on the NASA SKYLAB project. He produced mainly black and white preliminary sketches and his assistants carried out the finished coloured drawings, and so it is unclear as to whether he made this drawing himself or it is by a member of the studio and signed by him as his idea. The USA's NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) Skylab project during the late 1960s was the most progressive and high profile space-design programme and the styles that developed from its technological and idealistic advances were adopted widely throughout the world and were particulalry prelevant during the late 1960s and 1970s. Loewy was already a highly established designer by this point and was commissioned to work for NASA from 1967 as an habitability consultant for the Apollo Saturn Applications programme, SKYLAB, earth orbiter recuperable shuttle and in advance research and development for large space bases: experimental concepts.
Production
While these are signed by Loewy he says in correspondence that most of the coloured drawings were by his studio

Reason For Production: Commission
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
This is one of about 10,000 drawings that were produced by Loewy and his studio of six designers when he was working with on the NASA SKYLAB project. This apparatus was intended for feeding through liquid food and drinks for astronauts in anti-gravity environments. The USA's NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) Skylab project during the late 1960s was the most progressive and high profile space-design programme and the styles that developed from its technological and idealistic advances were adopted widely throughout the world and were particulalry prelevant during the late 1960s and 1970s. Loewy was already a highly established designer by this point and was commissioned to work for NASA from 1967 as an habitability consultant for the Apollo Saturn Applications programme, SKYLAB, earth orbiter recuperable shuttle and in advance research and development for large space bases: experimental concepts. The rectangular forms with curved corners and the use of browns and oranges became very popular.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
David Crowley and Jane Pavitt eds. Cold War Modern: Design 1945-1970. V&A Publishing, 2008. 319p.:ill. ISBN:9781851775439
Other number
35 (Sketches, technical drawings, designs concepts and system by Raymond Loewy exhibition) - Exhibition number
Collection
Accession number
E.3202-1980

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdApril 8, 2004
Record URL
Download as: JSON