UAM CSULB Frank Brothers Exhibition: The Art of Style and Marketing

Frank Bros., a company known for Mid-century modern style and design, provided customers in Long Beach a celebrated location to purchase furnishings in cutting-edge designs. It became the go-to place for designers and buyers who appreciated the revolutionary designs of the era and was open from 1938 to 1982 in Long Beach, Calif.

Celebrating this legacy of style and design is Cal State Long Beach’s University Art Museum, which is exhibiting “Frank Bros.: The Store That Modernized Modern” through April 9. The exhibit is set up in many similar ways to how the store used to be set up, with unusual displays to catch a buyer’s eye. Many of the well-known designers of the Mid-century era had their furnishings displayed including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, several pieces from Neal Small, known as the “Prince of Plastic,” an inflatable chair and pillows by Phil Orenstein, and Efebo chairs by Stacy Duke. Also, included in the exhibit is a range of ephemera showing the unique and clever advertising campaigns they employed over time, proving that some design is timeless.

Dunn-Edwards was proud to have three of its colors integrated within the space, further highlighting the beauty of the exhibit.

To learn more, visit csulb.edu

Photography by Jason Meintjes. Shown with courtesy and permission of CSULB