Michael Lax (1929-1999) was one of New York City's most diversely talented and respected mid-century industrial designers. Lax was a true native New Yorker: born in the city, he studied at the High School of Music and Art (graduated in 1947) and later established his firm Michael Lax Associates Inc. on Madison Avenue (1965).
In 1947, Lax studied with Lee Rosen, celebrated ceramic designer and founder of Design-Technics (Stroudsburg, PA & NYC). He continued his studies at Alfred University (Alfred, NY) where he was schooled by the best: Daniel Rhodes, Harold Tovish, Charles Harder, to name a few. After graduating Alfred in 1951, Lax designed for Dunbar Glass Company (Dunbar, WV) and just one year later received a Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art for his Dunbar glass serving pieces.
Michael Lax was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship (1953-4) and worked under Kaj Franck, noted Finish ceramic and glass designer as well as Llmari Tapiovaara, architect and furniture designer.
Lax returned from abroad to NYC at Russel Wright's behest. He assisted Wright in the development of ceramic dinnerware designs. His designs for Wright are unknown. Lax also undertook freelance projects including the design of metal kitchen ware and tabletops for Kromex Corporation (c. 1957. Cleveland, Ohio). This versatile designer had also undertaken the design of a comprehensive line of ceramic dinnerware and accessories for the Richards Morgenthau Co., in NYC (aka Raymor). His award-winning line, known as Raymor Capri, was manufactured by Hyalyn and was produced for more than a decade.
By 1960, Lax created Copcoware®, modern porcelain enamel cast-iron cookware made in Denmark for Copco, Inc. His work for this firm continued into the 1980s. Lax later turned his talents to participating in the design of architectural projects such as the Skydome and branched out into lighting design for Lightolier. He is perhaps best known for Lytegem, a desk top lamp chosen to be included in the Musuem of Modern Art's permanent collection during the mid-1960s.
Michael Lax ceramics
Raymor Capri
Lax's work for Raymor (Richards Morgenthau, Co. NYC), called Raymor Capri, is respected by both curators & collectors. The line was manufactured by Hyalyn (Hickory, NC) and first introduced in 1953. The original line, which combined white porcelain with walnut, was reported to have "created a new field of styling." While Scandinavian influence in the line is unmistakeable, Raymor Capri is distinctively American.
The line was extensive (see Raymor Capri chart) and included more than fifty items that included coffee servers to candleholders, vases to planters, buffet accessories to ash trays.
This large long oval bowl is believed to have been from a later, scarcer version of the Raymor Capri line. The glossy teal glaze is highlighted by a black base. A complementing glossy pink bowl and black base has also been found.
Raymor Capri was available in White porcelain with Walnut, and later was introduced in Blue matt with Walnut and Mustard Yellow with Walnut.
Another version of Raymor Capri (see above) has been found that featured glossy pink and glossy teal blue on black wood. These colors are found with less frequency and much less is known about this line, except that it seems to have employed the same shapes as the original Raymor Capri.
Raymor Capri garnered museum attention in 1959 at the 20th Century Design: USA exhibit co-sponsored by eight museums. There, Lax's designs were displayed beside tableware by the best: Eva Zeisel, Russel Wright, Edith Heath, Raymond Loewy, George Nelson, and Harley Earl.
Michael Lax brought a feeling of party and cutting edge 60s style & good design, with his Primaries buffet service for Iroquois China in 1968. The most outstanding piece from this line was the "Super Bowl," (see photo to the left) a large white spherical salad bowl that rotated on a black wood base. The Primaries line was followed one year later by Dining+, a full-featured dinnerware & cookware line designed for oven and stove to table efficiency.
Lax's mid-century tabletop and kitchen designs were created in all media. During the 1950s, he received kudos for his modern glassware, which included the high-fashion Festive line by Duncan Miller (pressed glass in crystal, aqua, and honey that was accented with hand-rubbed mahogany and brass) and Fontana a colorful line of Italian glassware (hour-glass-like shapes).
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| Iroquois China's Primaries Cheese Tray |
Primaries Covered Sugar Bowl. |
MICHAEL LAX POST MID-CENTURY TIMELINE
1965-68...designed Cheetah nightclub in NYC, projects for U. S. Plywood, Sanskrit architectural blocks, exhibited in MOMA, design director for Milano exhibition
1970...pedestrian amenities design for Manhattan Broadway Mall, PBS documentary on Michael Lax design, Pratt Institute visiting lecturer, information kiosk designs in Paris
1972...Amcor corporate graphics, Air-Ionizer added to the MOMA collection
1974-5...Visiting lecturer at Rhode Island school of Design, in exhibition at Nationalmuseum (Stockholm)
1976...designs first vacuum-formed acrylic bathtub, first seamless tub/shower (American Cyanamid Co.)
1977-1978...awarded Prix de Rome in design, in exhibition Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam).
1980-82...works in advanced fiber technology for Kimberly Clark; commercial melamine dinnerware for SiLite, Inc.; studies welding; creates ceramic dinnerware & cookware for Mikasa
1983-84...establishes workshop in Pietrasanta, Italy; sculpts in marble and bronze; Lytegem® in Design Since 1945 (Philadelphia, PA).
1986-mid-1990s...High Styles exhibition (Whitney, NYC), tableware accessories for Tupperware®, glass for Dansk, Inc.; pewter giftware for Grainware Company (Chicago), establishes sculpture workshop in NYC, in exhibition: Design: Mirror of the Century, Paris France.
(above dates are circa)
Sources:
Trade journal articles.
Hyalyn brochures info.
Copcoware® brochure info.
Raymor brochure info.
Primaries brochure.
Michael Lax Associates brochure.
Exhibition catalogs: Design Since 1945 and 20th Century Design: USA.
Various interviews.
Russel Wright Archives at Syracuse University (Syracuse, New York).
