1960s Raymond Loewy for Mengel Telephone Bench

C.C. Mengel formed the Mengel Furniture Co. sometime following the Civil War in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to household furnishings, they also produced wooden washing machines and boxes in various sizes. C.C. Mengel Jr. and C.R. Mengel took over the firm at the turn of the 20TH century, which was now called C.C. Mengel & Brothers Co. At the time it was the country’s largest manufacturer of wooden boxes. New product lines appeared in the early twentieth century including the very popular Mengel Playthings line of wooden toys. Their primary products were wooden wagons, tricycles, and wooden slides.

Raymond Loewy, an iconic French American designer who was dubbed “the father of industrial design,” had many well-known projects; and over his career span he consulted with over two hundred companies, leaving his mark in the design world. From products such as furniture to public transportation Raymond Loewy took pride in making what he called “the mundane side of the 20th Century more beautiful.”

Makers Mark inside drawer of telephone bench.