14 American Design Exports in Celebration of the Fourth of July

In celebration of the USA’s Independence Day, this is an eclectic smattering of the country’s finest design exports.

Eames Shell Chairs

The Eames Shell Chair Group. Designed by Charles and Ray Eames. Image © 2016 Herman Miller, Inc.

The Eameses

Charles and Ray Eames posing with chair bases — Charles and Ray Eames posing with their chair bases. Image courtesy of Eames Office, LLC via Wallpaper*.

Ray and Charles Eames selecting slides. Image courtesy of Eames Office, LLC via Wallpaper*.

Herman Miller

Shinola Shoe Polish

Shinola was originally established in 1907 in Rochester, New York. Trading for over fifty years, the company was best known for its shoe polish. Shinola made considerable business strides throughout the era of the Great Depression and in the years that followed. Sadly its image and branding were tarnished in the wake of the now famous colloquialism: “you don’t know shit from Shinola.” After that time Shinola’s sales declined and the company ceased trading in 1960. The brand name was purchased by a conglomerate in 2011 and Shinola set up home in Detroit city. Nowadays it makes watches, leather goods, bicycles, stationery and of course, shoe polish. Shinola’s products are predominantly made in the USA.

The Baseball Glove

Shinola + Nokona Baseball Glove. Nokona has been manufacturing ball gloves in the USA since 1934. Image © Shinola 2016.

The Steele Canvas Basket

The Glass House and Philip Johnson

Architect Philip Johnson's Glass House. Photo by Stacy Bass, courtesy of The Glass House, via Connecticut Magazine. — Architect Philip Johnson’s Glass House. Photo by Stacy Bass, courtesy of The Glass House, via Connecticut Magazine.

Tractor Stools

Artwork by Bruce Nauman

"Run from Fear, Fun from Rear" (1972) by Bruce Nauman, an American artist and artist. Image © Phaidon. — “Run from Fear, Fun from Rear” (1972) by Bruce Nauman, an American artist and sculptor. Image © Phaidon.

The Sunburst Clock

The Nelson Marshmallow Sofa

The Pecan Pie

Sticky and sweet. Yes the American pecan pie is indeed as good as the famous apple pie. This image shows Tom Ford's pecan pie, beautifully styled in homage to A Single Man. Photo by Richard Foster © 2016 Wallpaper*. — Sticky and sweet. Yes the American pecan pie is indeed as good as the famous apple pie. This image shows American fashion designer and film director Tom Ford’s pecan pie, beautifully styled in homage to A Single Man. Photo by Richard Foster © 2016 Wallpaper*.

The Rainbow Flag

The Rainbow Flag was designed by American artist and civil rights activist Gilbert Baker. The famous flag was created in the attic gallery of San Francisco’s Gay Community Center, where a team of around thirty volunteers dyed, cut, sewed and ironed many yards of cotton. Two Rainbow Flags were raised on 25 June 1978 at the United Nations Plaza in downtown San Francisco. MoMA acquired the Rainbow Flag in 2015, introducing this universal symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride into its authoritative and considerable design collection.