Silver to Steel: The Modern Designs of Peter Muller-Munk

This comprehensive book examines the work of celebrated modernist industrial designer Peter Muller-Munk, an international leader in his field during the mid-twentieth century. This groundbreaking book situates Peter Muller-Munk (1904–1967), a German émigré to the U.S., among the most influential designers of his generation. It presents the untold story of a man who rose from anonymity as a young silversmith at Tiffany & Co. to become a crucial postwar designer, promoting the practice of industrial design across the globe through one of the top design consultancies in America: Peter Muller-Munk Associates (PMMA). This generously illustrated book begins
with Muller-Munk’s remarkable Art Deco silver and provides
new context for his best-known designs: the streamlined
Normandie pitcher and Waring waterfall blender. But the
revelation comes in his previously undocumented work:
memorable products like cameras, radios, cocktail shakers,
power tools, and refrigerators; and total environments for gas
stations, international expositions, and mass-transit vehicles.
Muller-Munk’s prestigious clients included Bell & Howell,
Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, Texaco, and Schick. This compelling
overview of Muller-Munk’s life and impressive legacy is
punctuated by colorful case studies of his firm’s contributions
to wide-ranging aspects of mid-century life.

Rachel Delphia is the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.