Pioneers of American Industrial Design: A Daughter's Tribute

By Derry Noyes

Growing up, design was a part of my daily life. My father, Eliot Noyes, was an architect and industrial designer. My mother, Molly, was an interior designer and his closest adviser and confidante. Their love of design was contagious. It inspired all four of their children; it’s what influenced me to pursue a career in graphic design.

I have worked as an art director for the United States Postal Service for many years. When the Postal Service chose my father to be honored as one of the Pioneers of American Industrial Design, I was proud for him, for my mother, and for our family. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I was given the chance to participate in the design of the stamps.

Eliot Noyes was responsible for many remarkable designs. We chose to feature the one that has had the greatest impact: the IBM “Selectric” typewriter. I remember visiting my father’s office after school, and seeing the early models made out of clay. Later versions were made out of plaster with plastic parts for the knobs and details, and were painted gray.

My father also designed houses and corporate buildings, as well as engines, schools, transit vehicles, and office equipment. But whatever he created was simple and elegant and timeless. With the help of graphic designer Margaret Bauer, I’ve tried to capture that same spirit in these stamps.

Whether the result was a telephone or a fork, these stamps celebrate the designers who made commonplace items both useful and beautiful. I know my father would be pleased that his work is being celebrated on a vehicle that is inherently simple, useful, and beautiful — a U.S postage stamp.