1996.46 Joseph Sinel, Height and weight meter (model S)

Although industry had long had in-house designers and master craftsmen to design products, the 1920s saw the advent of professional industrial designers who worked as consultants to manufacturers to design specific products. This new phenomenon was led by individuals such as Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) and Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960). Joseph Sinel, who designed this scale, was one of these new professional designers.

This meter is perhaps Sinel's most famous design. The overall form derives from Manhattan's most potent symbol, the skyscraper. In 1916, the New York zoning code was modified to require all buildings over a certain height be set back at the top to allow light and fresh air to reach pedestrians below. As a result, structures such as the Chrysler Building (constructed 1928-31), had a profound effect on New York's skyline. Sinel and others incorporated these new icons of American modernity into their work. The silhouette of this piece, for example, features a tall shaft with stepped-back top. To further enhance the boldness of the design, Sinel used Art Deco typefaces on the façade. The weighing platform reads "STEP / ON / IT." When placed inside contemporary Art Deco-style buildings like Radio City Music Hall, the effect must have been striking indeed.

Charles Venable, "Height and weight meter (model S)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Jay Gates (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 254. 

I adjusted the title from "Scale Height and weight meter (model S)" to "Height and weight meter (model S)" to match the title in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (1997).

Until 1996: Off the Wall Antiques & Weird Stuff (Dennis Clark), Los Angeles, California 

From 1996: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from the above

California College of Arts and Crafts ~Read a biography of designer Joseph Sinel. 

Apply to objects where number equals 1996.46