‘Patented: 1,000 Design Patents’ by Thomas Rinaldi is a fascinating retrospective that covers over a century of patent history. When Rinaldi came to edit down the many thousands of possible inclusions to the design patents featured in his book, he had strict editorial criteria in mind. For one thing, many of the chosen consumer goods outlined in these distinctive documents had to be, in one way or another, familiar. With this in mind, the 1,000 featured patents contained in the book showcase products including radios, appliances, kitchenware, pens, scooters, phones, and myriad other consumer products. In addition to featuring recognizable everyday products, the ‘Patented: 1,000 Design Patents’ also includes the work of notable designers like Eero Saarinen, Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and others.
Each of the 1,000 patents chosen for the book contains the product renderings included with the original patent filings. These drawings give the reader a glimpse into the genius of the inventor/designer as they are the starting point for products we use on a regular basis and often take for granted. ‘Patented: 1,000 Design Patents’ also features celebrity designers, individuals that aren’t readily associated with innovative design. For example, the book includes superstar artist Prince’s guitar design and film director Francis Ford Coppola’s Apple computer mouse design. This is a volume that is sure to have a permanent place in a home as the ultimate coffee table book.
If you liked this, check out ‘Montblanc: Inspire Writing’ by Alexander Fury.