Thomas Lamb – Industrial Designer – “The Handle Man”

Thomas Babbit Lamb (1896–1988) was an industrial designer in the United States. His most well-known works are his revolutionary handle designs, which were based on the mechanics of the human hand.

Early Life and Education

Lamb was born on September 18, 1896, in New York City. He apprenticed to a plastic surgeon at 14, making medical drawings in exchange for anatomy lessons, and worked in a textile design company from 14. In the evenings, he studied figure drawing and painting at the Art Students League of New York. Lamb also went to Columbia University to study commerce. Thomas Lamb’s success as a designer was based on combining anatomy, art, and business.

Textile Design

Thomas Lamb founded his textile design studio at seventeen, specialising in advertising, fashion, and magazine illustration. In the 1920s, his bedspreads, napkins, and draperies were immensely popular. Many New York department stores carried them, including Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Children’s Books Illustrations

He started illustrating children’s books in 1924, with titles such as Runaway Rhymes, The Tale of Bing-O, Jolly Kid Alphabet, and Kiddyland Story Balloons. Shortly after his success with Runaway Rhymes, Lamb signed a contract with Good Housekeeping magazine to illustrate a series of Kiddyland cartoons. Lamb developed tie-ins for Kiddyland fabrics, soaps, and talcum powder. There was even a Kiddiegram for Western Union, which Shirley Temple praised.

World War II and the Birth of Ergonomic Design

During WWII, Lamb, like many other American designers, re-examined his design philosophy. A line of Victory Napkins and the “Adolph the Pig” piggy bank, which stimulated the purchase of war bonds, were among his early responses to the economic and social realities of the time.

The challenges of World War II prompted Lamb to reevaluate his design philosophy. Observing the discomfort experienced by wounded veterans using standard crutches, he applied his anatomical knowledge to develop the “Lim-Rest” crutch. This innovation redistributed weight more effectively, reducing strain on the user. Although the crutch did not achieve mass production due to manufacturing costs, it marked a pivotal moment in ergonomic design, highlighting the necessity of user-centered solutions in medical equipment. (hagley.org)

The “Handle Man” and Universal Design

Thomas Lamb became renowned as the “Handle Man” in the late 1940s. Cookware, cutlery, medical tools, baggage, sporting equipment, and industrial equipment benefitted from Lamb’s patents developed while inventing the Lim Rest. His designs had a key impact on the Universal Design movement, culminating in his unusual “Wedge-Lock” and “Universal” handles. When the design establishment was focused on Bauhaus-inspired utility, his work was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in 1948. As a result of the attention, Cutco and Wear-Ever awarded them contracts to create cutlery and cookware.

Thomas Lamb died on February 2, 1988, at the age of ninety-one.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, September 16). Thomas Lamb (industrial designer). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:46, November 7, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Lamb_(industrial_designer)&oldid=1044621321

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