Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story

Since I moved to the Barbican back in the late ’90s and could shuffle downstairs to the cinema in my slippers, I’ve treated going to see a film more like watching a very, very large TV at home.

I have managed to keep this to a fairly normal habit for about 20 years, visiting the cinema on average once a week—until about four years ago when I became a Curzon member, giving me access to seven films a week. I’m not embarrassed to say that it’s now verging on an obsession, where I try to go every day and see every new film. Often, I’ve seen all the films being screened, but luckily for me, I don’t live far from the Brunswick Curzon, which has a dedicated documentary screen — the Bertha DocHouse. They pretty much show a different film every day.

Last week’s documentary was an absolute treat: Modernism, Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story — and I really recommend you go and see it. I don’t think it’s showing anymore at the Curzon, but it’s available to stream, if that’s your thing.

I have to admit, I didn’t know anything about Eliot Noyes, but I was familiar with his work (not least the IBM Golfball Selectric typewriter which I bought on eBay years ago, but I digress…). Born in 1910, the American architect studied at Harvard under Walter Gropius and began his career at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where he was the first director of the Industrial Design Department in the 1940s. He went on to work with IBM in the 1950s and ’60s, completely revolutionising how the brand communicated to its audience — from product design to branding, marketing and tone of voice, he brought in leading modernist figures in the design field, such as graphic designer Paul Rand, and architects and filmmakers Charles and Ray Eames to work with him. I suppose, today, he would be described as the creative director.

Aside from his work with IBM and other corporate clients, including Mobil and Westinghouse, Noyes designed some fantastic houses in New Canaan, Connecticut, along with his wife, who was also an architect. This led to other modernist architects moving to the area and building their own homes (note to self: visit New Canaan).

The documentary charts the rise and fall of Noyes’s career and addresses the broader and pertinent issue of mass production and over-consumption. I found it truly fascinating. A full list of where its being screened can be found here.