Harold Van Doren (1895–1957) was a pioneering American industrial designer and author who played a crucial role in establishing industrial design as a distinct profession in the United States. Best known for his sleek, Art Deco "streamlined" style, he designed iconic 20th-century products ranging from "Skyscraper" radios to children's toys and household appliances.
Key Career Highlights
• Design Firm: In 1931, he co-founded a design firm in Toledo, Ohio, with John Gordon Rideout. They were among the first to apply professional design principles to mass-produced consumer goods.
• Pioneer of Plastics: He was an early advocate for Plaskon, a new plastic material in the 1930s, using it to create colorful and complex molded shapes.
• Educational Influence: Van Doren wrote one of the first comprehensive textbooks on the field, Industrial Design: A Practical Guide to Product Design and Development (1940), which helped define the profession for future generations.
Notable Designs
• Air King "Skyscraper" Radio: Designed in 1933, this radio is a quintessential example of Art Deco design and is highly prized by collectors today.
• "Skippy Racer" Scooter & "Sky King" Tricycle: These toys brought high-end streamlining to children's products.
• "Sno-Plane" Sled: A futuristic, aerodynamic take on the traditional wooden sled.
• Two-Way Refrigerator Door: In 1954, he designed the first refrigerator door that could open from either the left or right side for Philco.
Van Doren believed that industrial design should increase a product's convenience, leverage consumer psychology to attract buyers, and maximize the aesthetic appeal of form, color, and texture. He was a fellow and early member of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).
© 2026. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Harold Van Doren or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" Radio, Model 66 (with crystalline finish and globe insert), 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 66, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 66, 1933 |
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| Air King Pedal Plane, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio Model 52, black, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 52, Lavender, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 66, Mint green, 1933 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 66, Red, 1933 |
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| Skippy Streamline Racer, 1933 |
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| Skippy-Racer scooter, 1933 |
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| Skippy-Racer scooter, 1933 |
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| Skippy-Racer scooter, 1933 |
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| Sno-Plane sled, 1933 |
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| Aluminum Streamlined Bicycle, 1933-35 |
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| Sno-Plane sled, 1933 |
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| RWiz Autographic Register, 1935 |
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| Skippy Streamline, Velocipede, 1935 |
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| Skippy Streamline Velocipede, 1935 |
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| Sky King Tricycle, 1935 |
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| Toledo Plaskon Duplex scale, 1935 |
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| Toledo Sentinel Scale, 1935 |
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| Wayne Model 60 gas pump, 1935 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 770, ivory, 1937. (Back) |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 770, ivory, 1937 |
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| Air King "Skyscraper" radio, Model 770, marbleized red and yellow , 1937 |
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| Maytag "Master Washer" 1939 |
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| Magnalite Teakettle, 1940 |
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| Westinghouse "Adjust-O-Matic" iron, 1941 |
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| Industrial Design A Practical Guide to Product Design and Development, 1954 |
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