Helene Rother
Encyclopedia
Helene Rother was the first woman to work as an automotive design
er when she joined the interior styling staff of General Motors
in Detroit in 1943. She specialized in designs for automotive interiors, as well as furniture
, jewelry, fashion accessories, and stained glass windows.
, Germany, Rother studied art at the Kunstgewerbe School in Hamburg
. She also studied at the Bauhaus
in Weimar
. Rother moved to Paris
and designed of high fashion jewelry, as well as popular little animal pins that women wore on hats and dresses before World War II
.
-occupied France
together with her seven-year-old daughter Ina, to a refugee camp
in northern Africa where they stayed for four months before finding passage on a ship bound for New York City
in 1941. Her first employment in New York was as an illustrator for Marvel Comics
. The following year, she joined the interior styling staff of General Motors in Detroit, Michigan
. She was responsible for upholstery colors and fabrics, lighting, door hardware and seat construction.
Although she was Detroit's first woman automotive designer, it was downplayed at the time and her salary as reported in a newspaper was US$
600 a month. At this time the average wage was $200 for a man. "She was one of the few women to succeed in a man's job during an era when the vast majority of women couldn't even see a glass ceiling-it was hidden behind steel doors."
In 1947, Rother established her own design studio in the Fisher Building
, where she specialized in designs for automotive interiors, furniture, and stained glass windows. Her business was named Helene Rother Associates. In 1948 she published a technical paper with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) asking "Are we doing a good job in our car interiors"
She was soon contracted by Nash Motors
and styled the elegant interiors of most of the cars from 1948 to 1956. Even the economical Rambler American
models were prominently promoted as "irresistible glamour" on wheels.
Rother designed the Rambler's interiors to appeal to the feminine eye knew because she knew what women looked for in a car and her designs featured elegant, stylish, and expensive fabrics that coordinated in colors and trim. The new 1951 Rambler models were "given the custom touch" with fabrics and colors selected by Rother that "equaled the best of interiors in American luxury cars of the period."
She toured the 1951 Paris Auto Salon
, and was the first woman to address the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit. In 1953, Nash was awarded the Jackson Medal, "...since 1898, one of America's most sought-after awards," according to an advertisement, for excellence of design. Many Nash sales brochures and Rambler advertisements of the time featured the copy stating: "Styling by Pinin Farina
and interiors by Madame Helene Rother of Paris" as proof of the European influence on company's automobile styling. In 1954 the Nash Ambassadors had a big feature: the completely new interior by Rother. That year, Nash merged with Hudson to create American Motors Corporation (AMC), but her influence on interior fashion in automobiles continued.
work. Her clients included several tire
manufacturing companies, as well as non-automotive firms. She was also responsible for designing the interiors of ambulance
s and hearse
s for Miller-Meteor
.
Rother decided she wanted to begin producing art again and she went for a visit to Europe where she saw the struggle to restore or rebuild war-damaged churches and cathedrals. She also designed stained glass
for American churches and had installations in the mid-1960s, mainly in Michigan such as the Beverly Hills United Methodist Church in Beverly Hills, Michigan
, and the St. Lazarus
Serbian Orthodox
Cathedral in northeast Detroit with all thick "chunk" faceted glass, that was fabricated in France. Rother remains relatively unknown in the world of stained glass as women who designed stained glass, either independently or under a major studio name, were for the most part unrecognized at the time.
In her later years, Rother designed large stained glass windows for churches and spent time on her horse
farm
near Metamora, Michigan
.
Automotive design
Automotive design is the profession involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles or more specifically road vehicles. This most commonly refers to automobiles but also refers to motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans...
er when she joined the interior styling staff of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in Detroit in 1943. She specialized in designs for automotive interiors, as well as furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, jewelry, fashion accessories, and stained glass windows.
Early life
A native of LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany, Rother studied art at the Kunstgewerbe School in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. She also studied at the Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
. Rother moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and designed of high fashion jewelry, as well as popular little animal pins that women wore on hats and dresses before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Career
Rother fled from NaziNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-occupied France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
together with her seven-year-old daughter Ina, to a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
in northern Africa where they stayed for four months before finding passage on a ship bound for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1941. Her first employment in New York was as an illustrator for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The following year, she joined the interior styling staff of General Motors in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. She was responsible for upholstery colors and fabrics, lighting, door hardware and seat construction.
Although she was Detroit's first woman automotive designer, it was downplayed at the time and her salary as reported in a newspaper was US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
600 a month. At this time the average wage was $200 for a man. "She was one of the few women to succeed in a man's job during an era when the vast majority of women couldn't even see a glass ceiling-it was hidden behind steel doors."
In 1947, Rother established her own design studio in the Fisher Building
Fisher Building
The Fisher Building is an ornate Art Deco skyscraper located on the corner of West Grand Boulevard and Second Avenue in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It is constructed of limestone, granite, and several types of marble, and was financed by the Fisher family with proceeds...
, where she specialized in designs for automotive interiors, furniture, and stained glass windows. Her business was named Helene Rother Associates. In 1948 she published a technical paper with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) asking "Are we doing a good job in our car interiors"
Nash Motors
Nash Motors
Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors CorporationNash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the United States from 1916 to 1938. From 1938 to 1954, Nash was the automotive division of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation...
and styled the elegant interiors of most of the cars from 1948 to 1956. Even the economical Rambler American
Rambler American
The Rambler American is an automobile manufactured by the American Motors Corporation between 1958 and 1969. The American was the second incarnation of AMC's forerunner Nash Motors second-generation Rambler compact that was sold under the Nash and Hudson Motors marques from 1954 and 1955.The...
models were prominently promoted as "irresistible glamour" on wheels.
Rother designed the Rambler's interiors to appeal to the feminine eye knew because she knew what women looked for in a car and her designs featured elegant, stylish, and expensive fabrics that coordinated in colors and trim. The new 1951 Rambler models were "given the custom touch" with fabrics and colors selected by Rother that "equaled the best of interiors in American luxury cars of the period."
She toured the 1951 Paris Auto Salon
Mondial de l'Automobile
The Paris Motor Show is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held around October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show was the first motor show in the world, started in 1898 by industry pioneer, Albert de Dion. The show...
, and was the first woman to address the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit. In 1953, Nash was awarded the Jackson Medal, "...since 1898, one of America's most sought-after awards," according to an advertisement, for excellence of design. Many Nash sales brochures and Rambler advertisements of the time featured the copy stating: "Styling by Pinin Farina
Battista Farina
Battista "Pinin" Farina was an Italian automobile designer, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name associated with many of the best-known postwar sports cars....
and interiors by Madame Helene Rother of Paris" as proof of the European influence on company's automobile styling. In 1954 the Nash Ambassadors had a big feature: the completely new interior by Rother. That year, Nash merged with Hudson to create American Motors Corporation (AMC), but her influence on interior fashion in automobiles continued.
Other work
She purchased a home on Chicago Boulevard, with a studio downstairs and living quarters upstairs, and continued other independent consultingConsultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
work. Her clients included several tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
manufacturing companies, as well as non-automotive firms. She was also responsible for designing the interiors of ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
s and hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
s for Miller-Meteor
Wayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...
.
Rother decided she wanted to begin producing art again and she went for a visit to Europe where she saw the struggle to restore or rebuild war-damaged churches and cathedrals. She also designed stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
for American churches and had installations in the mid-1960s, mainly in Michigan such as the Beverly Hills United Methodist Church in Beverly Hills, Michigan
Beverly Hills, Michigan
Beverly Hills is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,267.-Geography:...
, and the St. Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
Serbian Orthodox
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
Cathedral in northeast Detroit with all thick "chunk" faceted glass, that was fabricated in France. Rother remains relatively unknown in the world of stained glass as women who designed stained glass, either independently or under a major studio name, were for the most part unrecognized at the time.
In her later years, Rother designed large stained glass windows for churches and spent time on her horse
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
near Metamora, Michigan
Metamora, Michigan
Metamora is a village in Lapeer County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 507 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Metamora Township.-Geography:...
.