Telephone Collectors International SingingSinging WiresWiresNewsletter Volume 18, Number 10 October 15, 2004 Inside this issue . A Conversation with Donald Genaro 40 Years Ago... 1964/1965 New York – a Living Legend of Telephone Design World's Fair - Jonathan D. Finder, MD World's Fair Booths Feature Push-Button Calling When one thinks of telephone work of designers who were hired after the Pg 6 designers, one name tends to come up, that fact to “soften” products after they had been of Henry Dreyfuss (1904-1972). The created. Dreyfuss’ firm used measurements North of the Border designers of the early telephones were from thousands of people to establish Awards & Show probably anonymous employees of the Bell normal values on which to base the human Photos System (as well as of the independent elements of design (like the distance Pg 11 telephone manufacturers) who were between mouth and ear in the rational design engineers first and designers second. Bell of the telephone handset). These many Laboratories realized that their telephones measurements (the science of which is were lacking in design and so in 1929 held a known as anthropometrics) resulted in the “Telephone of the Future” contest. This publication of the industry standard contest was won by a 25 year old man named guidebook, The Measure of Man: Human Ring, Talk and Listen... Pg 7 Henry Dreyfuss. Factors in Design by Henry Dreyfuss Decisive Moments in His first telephone for the Bell Associates in 1960. This book remains in Telecommunications History: System, the WE302 (or “H” mounting), still print, revised and updated, most recently in The Bell System's First New stands as a hallmark in American design and 2001, and renamed The Measure of Man and Automatic Dial System is still being produced today (after a fashion, Woman: Human Factors in Design. Part 2 of 2 Pg 8 by a catalog home furnishing company). Henry Dreyfuss and his firm Dreyfuss’ attention to the human factor in pioneered the science of ergonomics in Buy-Sell-Trade Pg 13 design of telephones is partly why his firm’s design, which would later become the single designs have had such lasting power and most dominant force in the industrial design why the relationship he and his firm forged world. Indeed, Dreyfuss’ 1950 with the Bell System would last more than autobiography was tellingly named Two Antique Telephone half a century, indeed even beyond his “Designing for People.” Dreyfuss wrote an Shows Coming Up Soon! death. The best source on Henry Dreyfuss article called “Adapting Products to People” is a wonderful book called Henry Dreyfuss, in the Bell Telephone Magazine, in which he Central California Show Industrial Designer: The Man in the Brown said “We are not in the profession of style or November 13, 2004 Suit by Russell Flinchum. fashion. Ours is a basic profession; our What most people do not realize is designing must be generic by nature. If the that Henry Dreyfuss did not work alone, and most contemporary of design can be called Southeast Regional Show had a design team that created the above “classic,” then call us classicists.” No one January 15, 2005 telephones. What made the Dreyfuss team can argue that Henry Dreyfuss Associates special was their use of ergonomics, have created the classics of telephone See Page 7 for details on both something that very few design firms had design. shows . previously used. Ergonomics refers to the One crucial member of Dreyfuss’ science of making the form fit the person. design team would eventually lead the team Ergonomics is not what comes to mind when after the death of Dreyfuss. This man, Coming next month.... one considers early telephones like the Donald Genaro, would work side-by-side First in a series of articles on “candlestick” desk stands. with Henry Dreyfuss for 15 years and then preserving and archiving telephony The WE302 was designed “from carry on the Dreyfuss tradition of design documents in digital format. the inside out” by Dreyfuss associates, for with the human form in mind. As Mr. Genero the Bell System, and contrasted with the will describe below in his own words, he is responsible for critical elements of the design at many prominent universities. The design of the Princess, for the complete Pratt Institute recently put a display out TCI Leadership design of the 2500, and for the creation and honoring his work. I am happy to have (Name, Office, E-mail, Phone) design of the boldest change to date of the donated a new old stock Trimline from my Bell system: the first “dial-in-handset” own collection for this exhibit. Gerald Neal, ’06, President telephone, the Trimline. This telephone is Upon retirement, Mr. Genaro [email protected] the forerunner of every cell phone and became the Chairman of the Board of 847-742-7135 cordless telephone in use today, and Directors of the Pascack Valley Hospital. He Ray Kotke, ’07, Vice President [email protected] remains the most commonly produced also serves the Board of Directors of the 517-641-4953 corded telephone manufactured to this day. Well Care Group, a New Jersey healthcare Sam Corcione, ’06, Treasurer Mr. Genaro has retired from system. His commitment to healthcare [email protected] Dreyfuss and Associates but remains active reflects his long interest and dedication in 847-329-7664 in his community. I recently had the honor of creating designs that demonstrate a concern Roger Conklin, ’06, Secretary exchanging a few calls and emails with him for the user. [email protected] and he lent me some source materials upon Mr. Genaro and his colleagues at 305-238-5857 which I based this article. I cannot begin to HDA designed nearly every telephone Gary Goff, ’07, Membership Secretary describe the feeling I had in being able to talk produced by AT&T that is in use today. In [email protected] 714-528-3561 to Mr. Genaro about his career — being able 1977, Fortune magazine described the Walt Aydelotte, ‘07, BOD to talk to a person who worked side-by-side Trimline telephone “one of the 25 best- [email protected] with Henry Dreyfuss, and who went on to designed products available in America 609-818-1698 design nearly every telephone produced by today.” The New York Times, in a review of Russ Fierce, ‘05, BOD AT&T since 1965. In a sense Donald Genaro the Pratt Institute’s Exhibition on Industrial [email protected] is a living piece of history. He might disagree Design (“Corvettes to Cuisinarts: Six 847-358-1185 with this but I can tell you I felt like I was able Decades of Diversity in Industrial Design”) George W. Howard, ‘05 to call and email Watson or Bell as I worked used the coined word “beautility” to [email protected] on this article. describe the kind of work featured – a word 315-824-1399 First, some basic biography. that nicely summarizes the work of Mr. Chris Mattingly, ‘05, BOD 314-921-6877 ext 31 Donald M. Genaro was born in 1932 in Genaro – beauty and utility fused. John Novack, ’07, BOD Hoboken, NJ and attended local public Donald Genaro has said, “If people [email protected] schools. He served an apprenticeship at FW notice the design, it has probably failed.” 304-274-9079 Fisher Architects prior to entering the US This sentiment crystallizes the nature of Phil Schelthoff, ’05, BOD Army during the Korean War. After leaving good industrial design – a natural seeming [email protected] the service, he entered the Pratt Institute, design of a functional product does not call 630-833-0447 where he received a degree in Industrial attention to itself. Ken Sims, ’06, BOD Design. Mr. Genaro joined Henry Dreyfuss I contacted Donald Genaro to learn [email protected] 502-499-1457 Associates (HDA) in 1956 – a job he applied more about his career, especially about his Jim Stettler, ‘05, BOD for even before graduating from Pratt. He work with telephone design. [email protected] worked at HDA from 1956 through 1995. He 719-635-9537 became an associate at the firm in 1963 and Jonathan D. Finder: Were you trained in Wally Tubbs, ‘06, BOD a partner shortly thereafter. Henry Dreyfuss electrical engineering? [email protected] retired in 1969, and Mr. Genaro carried on the Donald M. Genaro: My training did not 402-423-4716 tradition of design excellence at his firm for cover electric engineering but an Mike Magnus, Switchers Quarterly another 25 years – the last 15 years as its understanding of its basic principles is Editor senior partner. Mr. Genaro has developed necessary for an industrial designer to [email protected] 847-824-0374 products for AT&T/Bell Labs, John Deere, practice successfully. David Massey, Editor Singing Wires Polaroid, Singer, American Standard, [email protected] Banker’s Trust, American Airlines, Olivetti, JDF: Can you tell me a bit about working 770-426-5715 British Aircraft, Matsushita, and Hitachi. He with Henry Dreyfuss? Paul Wills is a member of the Industrial Designers DMG: I am indeed fortunate to have had [email protected] Society of America and has been recognized almost 15 years at his side. His main concern 610-384-4250 by awards from many professional was always the user and he insisted that Paul & Bev McFadden, Editor Emeritus organizations. His designs are included in safety, ease of use, maintenance, ergonomic [email protected] the permanent collections of the Museum of and cost issues be addressed in the design 847-658-7844 Modern Art and at the Smithsonian process and that they not be subservient to TCI Phone: 801-849-6520 Institute’s National Design Museum.