Robert J Price's Early Industrial Design Career

When Robert J Price landed in New York City to attend Pratt Institute, he rented an apartment in Brooklyn with other male students. He often looked back fondly remembering how much fun he had. One of his roommates, Tadashi Sato who was from Hawaii, became a famous artist. My dad and grandparents had acquired lot of his artwork and when we visited his studio during our honeymoon on Maui, he gave us one of his prints. He graduated with an industrial design degree in 1951.

Meanwhile, my mother Martha West, after completing a two year degree in Fashion at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri moved up to New York City with her two best college friends. Robert Smith, another industrial designer who later ran the graphic design department at JC Penneys for years, was her first date. But after my dad mimed Charlie Chaplin at a Pratt gathering, my mom fell instantly in love. My dad was also smitten, as my mother who was pursuing a fashion model career, was stunning! They later married on September 8th, 1951 at the Church of the Transfiguration on 1 East 29th Street in New York City. It is still known to this day at the Little Church around the Corner. As a coincidence our son, Titus, was married to Janelle Schrag on the same date 67 years later.

One of mom's best college friends, Betts, ended up marrying Robert Smith and Ann, the other friend she moved up, with married Bob Cathcart and both have stayed lifelong friends.

Robert J Price graduated with a 3 yr certificate from Pratt Institute where he studied Industrial Design from September 1948 to June 1951. He then went to work at Bertha Schaefer Interiors where he designed wooden furniture. He was very proud of the fact that one of his designs under her name ended up at the Museum of Modern Art. Unfortunately my memory escapes me as to what it was and when it was shown there. I have to do more research at MOMA to find out or as I dive into the archives hopefully it will turn up.

Meanwhile my mother was pursuing a career as a photographic fashion model. She was tall, 5'10", dark haired and slim, attributes she had hoped would help her. However her hopes were dashed after interviewing with the top fashion agency in NYC. They said that she should have red hair and a nose job. After she and my dad turned her hair orange, she gave up and worked as a floor fashion model for clothing manufacturers in the NYC Fashion district. Her nose was changed into a more perfect form after an accident which I will describe later.

Not sure who had the idea first but my parents decided to leave their jobs and go on a trip to Europe. This shocked both their friends and families but they set sail on the Ile de France (the most affordable ocean crossing at the time) anyway. They left on April 1, 1954 from the North River Pier 88, NYC and arrived on April 7 in Plymouth, England. From their notes it looks like they traveled by train, boat and other public transportation. From Plymouth they toured England, Holland, France, Switzerland, Italy and back to France before departing from Le Havre on June 25 for a six day crossing on the Liberte. They had many fond memories and lots of photographs of the time they spent there.

After returning, they moved back to Manhattan. My dad went to work at Charles Butler Associates and my mom became pregnant with me.