Floris Meydam
The name of Dutch industrial designer Floris Meydam (often misspelled as Floris Meijdam) will always be connected to the famous 'Glasfabriek Leerdam' (Leerdam Glass Factory). At age 25, he joined it as an assistant in the advertising department in 1935. He educated himself via evening courses and in-house training. In 1944 he became a teacher at the 'Glasschool' and gave lessons in grinding, sand blowing, etching and glass painting techniques. In 1949 he succeeds Andries Copier (1901-1991) as chief designer of the Leerdam Glass Factory.
Meydam created his 'unica' designs from 1950 on, first polished pieces and soon also blown pieces. In addition to utility glass, Meydam also designed packaging glass. Well known examples are the bottles and jars for Coebergh, De Betuwe (1970), Becel, Luyck, Grolsch and Calvé.
Meydam worked at Glasfabriek Leerdam until his retirement in 1984. But already since 1954, he also worked on a project base as a ceramics designer.
In 1956 he designs the successful 'Black Princess' tableware for Regina. This tableware will appear on the market later, although against his will, in other colours, such as e.g. Charming Princess (white-beige), White Princess (white-white), Lucky Princess (white-gray) and 4 other color variations.
From 1968 Floris Meydam also designs tableware and flower vases for the pottery factory Fris in Edam, in 1970 flower vases for Hofstra in Herwijnen, in 1988 for Flora in Hardenberg and for De Porceleyne Fles in Delft. In 2003 he designs espresso and cappuccino cups and in 2005 vases for Goedewaagen.
As a free glass artist, he cooperates with famed European co-designers and exhibits his work in galleries and museums in The Netherlands and abroad.
Awards (selection)
Good Design Award, Museum of Modern Art (New York)
Silver medallion, Triennial Milan
Grand Prix, World Exhibition Brussels
Signe d'Or, Brussels
Knight in the Order of Oranje Nassau
Museums (selection)
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL)
Museum of Modern Art, New York (USA)
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (F)
Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main (D)
Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf (D)
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL)
Neue Sammlung, München (D)
Contemporary Crafts, New York (USA)
Nationaal Glasmuseum, Leerdam (NL)
Museum of Modern Art, Haifa (Isr)
Smithsonian Institution, Washington (USA)
Musée de Verre, Liège (B)
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (D)
Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin (D)
Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen (Dk)
Victoria and Albert Museum, London (UK)
Design Museum Gent, Gent (B)
Kunstmuseum Den Haag (NL)
Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL)
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Montreal (Can)
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (JPN)
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (JPN)
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (USA)
Museum of Art, Djakarta (Indonesia)
Literature
1986 Floris Meydam, Leerdam glass 1944-1986.
1997 Floris Meydam designer.
1999 Floris Meydam. Glass.
2003 Floris Meydam. In shape.
2005 Floris Meydam. In ceramics.
The name of Dutch industrial designer Floris Meydam (often misspelled as Floris Meijdam) will always be connected to the famous 'Glasfabriek Leerdam' (Leerdam Glass Factory). At age 25, he joined it as an assistant in the advertising department in 1935. He educated himself via evening courses and in-house training. In 1944 he became a teacher at the 'Glasschool' and gave lessons in grinding, sand blowing, etching and glass painting techniques. In 1949 he succeeds Andries Copier (1901-1991) as chief designer of the Leerdam Glass Factory.
Meydam created his 'unica' designs from 1950 on, first polished pieces and soon also blown pieces. In addition to utility glass, Meydam also designed packaging glass. Well known examples are the bottles and jars for Coebergh, De Betuwe (1970), Becel, Luyck, Grolsch and Calvé.
Meydam worked at Glasfabriek Leerdam until his retirement in 1984. But already since 1954, he also worked on a project base as a ceramics designer.
In 1956 he designs the successful 'Black Princess' tableware for Regina. This tableware will appear on the market later, although against his will, in other colours, such as e.g. Charming Princess (white-beige), White Princess (white-white), Lucky Princess (white-gray) and 4 other color variations.
From 1968 Floris Meydam also designs tableware and flower vases for the pottery factory Fris in Edam, in 1970 flower vases for Hofstra in Herwijnen, in 1988 for Flora in Hardenberg and for De Porceleyne Fles in Delft. In 2003 he designs espresso and cappuccino cups and in 2005 vases for Goedewaagen.
As a free glass artist, he cooperates with famed European co-designers and exhibits his work in galleries and museums in The Netherlands and abroad.
Awards (selection)
Good Design Award, Museum of Modern Art (New York)
Silver medallion, Triennial Milan
Grand Prix, World Exhibition Brussels
Signe d'Or, Brussels
Knight in the Order of Oranje Nassau
Museums (selection)
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL)
Museum of Modern Art, New York (USA)
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (F)
Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main (D)
Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf (D)
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL)
Neue Sammlung, München (D)
Contemporary Crafts, New York (USA)
Nationaal Glasmuseum, Leerdam (NL)
Museum of Modern Art, Haifa (Isr)
Smithsonian Institution, Washington (USA)
Musée de Verre, Liège (B)
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg (D)
Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin (D)
Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen (Dk)
Victoria and Albert Museum, London (UK)
Design Museum Gent, Gent (B)
Kunstmuseum Den Haag (NL)
Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL)
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Montreal (Can)
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (JPN)
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (JPN)
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (USA)
Museum of Art, Djakarta (Indonesia)
Literature
1986 Floris Meydam, Leerdam glass 1944-1986.
1997 Floris Meydam designer.
1999 Floris Meydam. Glass.
2003 Floris Meydam. In shape.
2005 Floris Meydam. In ceramics.
Floris Meydam
1919 (Leerdam, The Netherlands)
2011 (Leerdam, The Netherlands)
Industrial designer, ceramist, glass artist
1919 (Leerdam, The Netherlands)
2011 (Leerdam, The Netherlands)
Industrial designer, ceramist, glass artist
Floris Meydam at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York.