Butler-Zimmerman - Industrial Designers

 

As I said in my first post, this was a very exciting time for the airlines as they looked toward expanding commercial air travel after WWII. From the Charles Butler archives my earliest Aviation Week article on Charles Butler is dated November 8, 1954.  A column "Off the Line" describes a project that Butler-Zimmerman had done for Generalissomo Chiang Kai-Shek and the president of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista.

Off the Line (Aviation Week)

"Brass and Plush. Charles Butler of the industrial design consultant firm, Butler-Zimmerman had just completed laying out the interior design and color scheme of a DC-4 belonging to Generalissomo Chiang Kai-Shek, and now is working on the interior of a DC-3 for Cuba's President, Fulgencio Batista. Conversion of both planes will be handled by Pan American at Brownsville, Tex."

These were both very important clients. Generalissomo Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader of the Republic of China from 1928-1975 and Batista was President of Cuba until five years later when Fidel Castro ousted Batista in a military coup. Without getting too deep in politics, both of these leaders were important allies at the time to the United States.

Shortlines (Aviation Week)

In the same Aviation Week issue in the "Shortlines" column was an article about Butler-Zimmerman's interior design of the Capital Airlines turboprop Vickers Viscount built in England. "First Look Inside Capital's Viscounts. Artist's conceptions of industrial designer Butler-Zimmerman's treatment of Capital Airlines' turboprop Vickers Viscount transport interior show passenger seats with tables that hinge out from seats ahead. Other picture shows how carryon baggage will be stowed in multi-shelved compartment. CAP's Viscounts will have passenger loading door ahead of wings. Door will hinge forward; integral stops, probably power actuated, will provide cabin entry. Foreign Viscounts load passengers through door behind the wings, using a ramp. First three CAP transports will have TCA's decor, remaining 37 will follow CAP specs."

This account would turn out to be key to the growth of Charles Butler Associates and to my dad, Robert J Price and our family as I will note in upcoming blogs.