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Chermayeff and Geismar’s System 1
Chermayeff & Geismar Collection: Box 16 Folder 13. Dictaphone System 1, 1970.
September 16, 2013

Chermayeff and Geismar’s System 1

Is it a top secret missile defense system? A world-wide clandestine computer network designed to topple rogue governments? The futuristic and vaguely ominous-sounding System 1 was actually an office furniture system from Dictaphone’s furniture division Marble/Imperial. The furniture came from industrial designer William Lansing Plumb, who also designed Dictaphone devices. The System 1 promotional piece was designed by Chermayeff & Geismar Associates and composed of five cards and a poster.


Close up photograph of black rolling chair legs against a red background


 
System 1: card 5 front

Left is photograph of dollhouse sized office furniture in black against red background; right is column of text


 
System 1: card 5 back

The back of each card features a doll-house sized model of the highlighted set.


Poster of grid geometric shapes against white background


 
System 1: poster

Check out the whole thing on our Flickr account.


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