December 3, 2015
Image from moma.org
We were super excited to recently add a Cyclone Child Table by Isamu Noguchi to the kinder MODERN collection. But did you know that Noguchi also made one of the most important additions to child design, for both safety and aesthetics? His gorgeous Radio Nurse Speaker (1937) was produced by the Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago and made of Bakelite resin. This first baby monitor is said to have been made in response to the horrific and tragic kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. in the early 1930s. Although the original Radio Nurse was from from perfect, it created a market for better ways to monitor our children and our homes, and eventually led to the high-tech (and beautifully designed) gadgets we use today. Check out this great article from The Henry Ford Museum to learn more.