Through the Lens of Industry: Cooper Hewitt Explores the Visual Legacy of MillerKnoll and the American Manufacturing Landscape

NEW YORK — As the boundaries between industrial labor, modern design, and visual culture continue to blur, cultural institutions are increasingly looking at how we document the physical act of making. In a forthcoming public program that bridges the historical and the contemporary, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will host an illustrated lecture and panel discussion dedicated to the profound role that photography has played in shaping the identity of MillerKnoll—encompassing the storied histories of both Herman Miller and Knoll.

The event, held in conjunction with the museum’s ongoing exhibition Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne, promises to offer a deep dive into more than seven decades of design documentation. It will trace how photographic imagery transformed utilitarian furniture and textiles into enduring symbols of American modernity, while examining the evolving nature of industrial labor through the lens of contemporary documentary practice.

Main Facts

The upcoming Cooper Hewitt program is anchored by a rare public dialogue between two leading figures in design preservation and industrial photography: Amy Auscherman, Director of Archives and Brand Heritage at MillerKnoll, and acclaimed photographer Christopher Payne. The evening will be moderated by Susan Brown, curator of Made in America.

At its core, the event explores how photography has served not merely as a marketing tool for MillerKnoll, but as a critical archive of shifting American manufacturing practices, labor demographics, and technological advancements.

Key elements of the program include:

• An Illustrated Historical Overview: Auscherman will present a visual history illustrating how Herman Miller and Knoll leveraged photography to communicate design innovation, material integrity, and corporate ethos to the public for over seventy years.
• A Contemporary Focus on the Eames Lounge Chair: Payne and Auscherman will discuss their recent collaborative documentation of the manufacturing process behind the iconic Eames Lounge Chair, a cornerstone of mid-century modern design that remains in continuous production.
• Contextualizing American Industry: The discussion will place Payne’s photographic documentation of MillerKnoll within his broader, lifelong project to capture the infrastructure, heritage, and future trajectory of American manufacturing.
• Institutional Framing: The event is hosted by Cooper Hewitt, the nation’s sole museum devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design, providing a rigorous academic and cultural backdrop for the conversation.

Chronology of Visual Identity: How Photography Built Modernism

To understand the weight of the upcoming discussion, one must trace the historical timeline of how Herman Miller and Knoll utilized photography to define the aesthetic of the American office and home.

The Mid-20th Century: The Birth of Design Photography (1940s–1950s)

Long before the digital age, both Herman Miller and Knoll recognized that the way a chair or a textile was photographed would dictate its place in cultural history. In the 1940s and 1950s, under the creative direction of figures like George Nelson and the leadership of D.J. De Pree at Herman Miller, and Florence Knoll at Knoll, photography moved away from sterile catalog layouts. Instead, furniture was placed in dynamic, architectural environments that reflected a new, optimistic postwar lifestyle. Photographers were tasked with capturing the tactile qualities of molded plywood, fiberglass, and newly engineered textiles, translating complex industrial processes into objects of desire.

The Expansion Era: Documenting Mass Production (1960s–1980s)

As corporate spaces expanded and office systems evolved—most notably with the introduction of Herman Miller’s Action Office system in 1968—the scope of industrial photography expanded. Cameras moved from the curated studio setting out onto the factory floor. Images were needed to explain complex systems of cubicles, modular storage, and ergonomic seating. Photography during this era served an educational purpose, helping architects, facility managers, and corporate buyers understand how these products functioned within vast, rapidly changing work environments.

The Digital Pivot and Brand Consolidation (1990s–Present)

The turn of the 21st century brought sweeping changes to manufacturing and media. With the eventual merger of Herman Miller and Knoll to form MillerKnoll, the archival responsibilities grew exponentially. Photography transitioned from film to digital mediums, and the distribution channels shifted from print catalogs to global digital platforms. Throughout these shifts, the photographic archive became a vital strategic asset for the company, used to anchor its brand heritage while continually pitching itself as a forward-thinking innovator in workspace design.

Supporting Data: The Intersection of Archives, Manufacturing, and Art

The dialogue between Auscherman and Payne highlights several compelling data points regarding the scale, economic impact, and cultural footprint of American manufacturing and its documentation:

• Seven Decades of Visual Heritage: MillerKnoll’s combined archives contain hundreds of thousands of photographic negatives, transparencies, and digital files, chronicling the design iterations of legendary creators such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Florence Knoll, Eero Saarinen, and Isamu Noguchi.
• The Endurance of the Eames Lounge Chair: Originally introduced in 1956, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman remains one of the most thoroughly documented objects in industrial design history. Its multi-step manufacturing process—involving the molding of plywood veneers, the casting of aluminum, and the hand-assembly of leather upholstery—serves as a microcosm of traditional craftsmanship meeting modern industrial efficiency.
• The Scope of Made in America: Christopher Payne’s ongoing photographic exploration of American manufacturing has taken him inside dozens of specialized factories across the United States. His work counters the narrative of industrial decline by documenting the high-tech, highly skilled factories that continue to drive the nation’s economy.
• Institutional Stewardship: Cooper Hewitt’s presentation of Payne’s work underscores a growing museum trend: treating industrial processes not merely as economic activities, but as sophisticated cultural productions worthy of fine-art exhibition standards.

Official Responses and Perspectives

Organizers and participants emphasize that this event is timely, given how the nature of labor and manufacturing is undergoing another historic transformation.

Susan Brown, curator of Made in America, points out that photography has always been the primary mediator between the factory floor and the consumer. "When we look at a piece of modern furniture, we rarely think about the immense human and mechanical effort required to produce it," Brown notes. "Christopher Payne’s photography strips away the abstraction of mass production, forcing us to confront the raw materials, the machinery, and the skilled labor that make design possible. Pairing his work with the institutional archives of MillerKnoll allows us to trace a direct line from mid-century utopian design ideals to the realities of contemporary manufacturing."

Amy Auscherman, whose role as Director of Archives and Brand Heritage places her at the intersection of MillerKnoll’s past and future, stresses the adaptability required in modern industrial environments.

"Our archives are not just a dusty repository of old catalogs; they are a living toolkit that informs how we navigate rapid changes in labor markets, material availability, and cutting-edge technology," Auscherman stated in a preview of the event. "Documenting our manufacturing processes—whether it’s the hand-finishing of an Eames lounge chair or the robotic assembly of newer ergonomic systems—allows us to honor our heritage while aggressively looking toward the future of how people work and live."

Christopher Payne reflected on what photographing the MillerKnoll manufacturing ecosystem means within the context of his broader career. "When you walk onto a factory floor like the one where the Eames lounge is made, you realize you are witnessing a delicate choreography between human hands and industrial machinery," Payne observed. "My goal has always been to document the dignity of labor and the beauty of the built environment. Working with MillerKnoll gave me unprecedented access to a company that takes its own history and its manufacturing processes very seriously."

Implications: What This Means for the Future of Design and Labor

The convergence of MillerKnoll’s archival history, Christopher Payne’s industrial photography, and Cooper Hewitt’s exhibition platform carries several significant implications for the fields of design, labor studies, and cultural preservation.

1. Re-evaluating the Dignity of Industrial Labor

In an era dominated by the knowledge economy and digital services, physical manufacturing is frequently overlooked or mischaracterized as entirely automated and devoid of human agency. By showcasing the intricate, highly skilled labor required to produce enduring design objects, the exhibition and subsequent discussion serve to elevate the status of the industrial worker. The photographs remind viewers that iconic design is fundamentally a collaborative effort between the designer, the engineer, and the maker.

2. The Strategic Value of Corporate Archives

For major design enterprises, the management of brand heritage has evolved from a passive housekeeping function into an active driver of product development and marketing. Auscherman’s work at MillerKnoll demonstrates how historical archives can be leveraged to authenticate brand value in a crowded global marketplace. As consumers increasingly demand transparency, provenance, and sustainability, a company’s historical record becomes a powerful testament to its enduring quality and ethical stewardship.

3. The Evolving Definition of "Made in America"

As global supply chains face unprecedented scrutiny and disruption, the phrase "Made in America" carries complex economic and political connotations. Payne’s photographic project, as framed by the Cooper Hewitt exhibition, offers a nuanced, non-partisan view of domestic manufacturing. It highlights the resilience, specialization, and technological adaptation required for American factories to remain competitive on the world stage.

4. Design Museums as Spaces for Critical Discourse

Finally, programs like this one reinforce the vital role that design museums play in contemporary culture. By moving beyond traditional object-based displays to explore the systems, labor practices, and visual cultures surrounding design, institutions like Cooper Hewitt encourage the public to think critically about the objects that populate their daily lives.

As the conversation between Auscherman, Payne, and Brown unfolds at Cooper Hewitt, attendees will be invited to look past the polished surfaces of mid-century masterpieces and into the vibrant, sparks-and-sawdust reality of American industry—proving that the history of design is, at its heart, the history of how we make things together.