Adrian Pearsall
Adrian
Mount Pearsall (1925–2011) was a renowned Mid-Century designer, architect, and
philanthropist. Born in New York, he was raised and settled in Pennsylvania.
Pearsall
was an active part of the great sense of opportunity that swept through The
United States after World War II. Many American factories were achieving
record-breaking levels of productivity.[2]
Designers of this period were excited by the host of new materials available to
them and the possibilities that mass production offered.
After
serving in the U.S. Navy and attending the University of Illinois for
architectural engineering (graduated 1950), Pearsall founded Craft Associates
and began working with wrought iron designs before switching to walnut designs
in the late ‘50s. Craft Associates was hugely successful and helped establish
the mid-century “Atomic Age” style, and was later sold to Lane Furniture.
During
this period, the fantasy of the chic, gadget-laden 'bachelor's lair' was a
recurring icon of hedonistic, masculine consumption in men's magazines such as
Playboy, Escapade and Rogue. Cosmopolitan and brimming with á la mode luxuries,
the 'bachelor pad' was a leitmotif in these magazines' wider celebration of
masculine consumer pleasure and desire.[3]
Pearsall
designed his own home in 1962. His home
was for sale in 2011, listing for 1.5 million dollars.[4] This beautiful ranch-style home is the
definition of swanky living:
http://adrianpearsall.com/adrianpearsallhomeslideshow.htm
http://retrorenovation.com/2011/05/01/breaking-news-adrian-pearsalls-1964-house-for-sale/
Pearsall
went on to co-found Comfort Designs and continued to work hard and flourish in
the 1970s. Check out his full catalog:
http://www.adrianpearsall.com/catalogs.htm
“Known
for his daring designs which brought high style to the masses, he is credited
with the creation of long and low gondola sofas, free-form walnut and glass
tables, and the popularization of the venerable bean bag chair.”[5]
[1] all photos from http://www.ny30.org/adrianmountpearsall.htm
[2] Judith Miller, Miller’s
20th Century Design, London: Octopus Publishing Group, 2012.
[3] Bill Osgerby, “The Bachelor Pad as Cultural Icon,” Journal of Design History, Vol. 18 No.
1, Spring 2005, pg. 99–113.
[4] Mary Therese Biebel,“The house
the late Adrian Mount Pearsall designed” The
Times Leader, (Wilkes-Barre, PA), Jan 28, 2012.
