Swing-Line Child's Wardrobe

1952

Henry Peter Glass
American, born Austria, 1911–2003
Fleetwood Furniture Corporation
American, founded 1951
Grand Haven, Michigan

Celebrated for his innovative use of materials and construction techniques, Chicago designer Henry Glass initiated the first industrial-design program at the School of the Art Institute and served as a professor there for over two decades. His highly successful ”Swingline” group, which consisted of beds, bookshelves, cabinets, desks, and other pieces met with critical acclaim and pioneered the use of Masonite as a structural material for modular furniture. The Art Institute’s wardrobe displays the bold, contrasting colors favored by consumers during the 1950s and testifies to Glass’s talent for imaginative, utilitarian design.

Status: On View, Gallery 285
Department: Architecture and Design

Artist: Henry Peter Glass
Title: Swing-Line Child's Wardrobe
Place: United States (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1952
Medium: Painted Masonite and wood
Dimensions: 107.6 × 80.7 × 44.5 cm (42 3/8 × 31 3/4 × 17 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Henry P. Glass
Reference Number: 2000.133

Jennifer M. Downs, “ ‘The New Modern Feeling’: A Catalogue of the Collection,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 27, 2 (2001), pp. 90-91, cat. 26.

Milwaukee Art Museum, Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America, Sept. 28, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019; Denver Art Museum, May 5-Aug. 25, 2019, cat.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

See all hours

On View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

Extended information about this artwork

Publication History

Exhibition History

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share