Episode 46: Aline B. Saarinen
The time was March 25, 1914, the place New York City, Aline Bernstein was born. She graduated in 1935 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College. That same year she enrolled in NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts to study History of Architecture and she married Joseph H Louchheim. By 1941, she had two sons, Donald and Harry, and a Masters of Arts degree. In 1944 she got a job with Art News Magazine where she was managing editor from 1946 to 1948. She then left to join the New York Times as the associate art editor and critic. Aline published articles on cultural trends and the link between modern art and architecture. For all this, she won the International Award for Best Foreign Criticism at the 1951 Venice Biennale. That same year she divorced Joseph. New York Times sent her to interviewed Eero Saarinen in 1953 and by the next year, they were married and parents to Eames Saarinen. After the marriage, she became "Head of Information Service" at Eero’s firm. Where she handled what is known today as Business Development, Public Relations, and Marketing. It is said that Aline was responsible for elevating Eero’s career and establishing the profession of architectural publicist. A decade later she was a TV personality discussing art and architecture in NBC’s Sunday Show and Today show. She even had her own TV show for Women Only. After a lifetime of achievements and accolades, she passed away in 1972.
Caryatid: Katharina Plath
Katharina Plath is the founder and principal of the Public Relations firm Head and Hand PR. Katherina is from Germany and she has an MBA in Economics and Interior Design. She also has a master's degree from the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Katharina has lived and worked in Hamburg, London, Milan and Paris and now New York.
References
“About.” Head & Hand PR, www.headandhandpr.com/about. Accessed 13 Jan. 2022.
“Aline Louchheim and Eero Saarinen.” American Masters, uploaded by American Masters, 28 Oct. 2016, www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/aline-louchheim-eero-saarinen/7939.
Hagberg, Eva. “The Untold Story of Aline Louchheim Saarinen.” Architect, 10 May 2019, www.architectmagazine.com/practice/the-untold-story-of-aline-louchheim-saarinen_o.
Saarinen, Eric. “Forgiving My Dad.” Scandinavian Review, no. Summer, 2016, pp. 6–20.
Times, The New York. “WEDDINGS; Katharina Plath, Paul Kaminski.” The New York Times, 23 July 2000, www.nytimes.com/2000/07/23/style/weddings-katharina-plath-paul-kaminski.html.
Wikipedia contributors. “Aline B. Saarinen.” Wikipedia, 13 Mar. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aline_B._Saarinen.
Images:
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. KMAC Conversations. 30 Dec. 2003. https://4materiality.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/love-by-design-the-saarinen-women/
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