Thanks for the book recommendation Sara, I checked out The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand from the library this afternoon. I'll start on it as soon as I'm done with Alice's adventures in Wonderland. I'll postpone Through the looking-glass until later.

Funny sidenote; while looking around online for an eBook version of The Fountainhead, I came across this:
Now that's quite an accomplishment. Considering Al Franken was born in May of 1951 and The Fountainhead was first published in April of 1952. Now that's what I call prenatal planning! I wonder what the real Ayn Rand, born in St Petersburg in 1905, would think about her name being called a pseudonym?

The top of the Chrylser building is made out of nirosta, a type of stainless steel.

In hindsight I should have named Gerrit Rietveld, my favorite designer, the first Designer of the Month. So I'll go ahead and make him the...

Honorary First Designer of the Month: Gerrit Rietveld
Born in Utrecht, Netherlands [incidentally, I lived there for 3 months] Rietveld was a true aesthetic genius. Contrary to popular belief he was not a member of De Stijl, a group of Dutch designers operating at the same time with a similar angular look. Believe me, I've been to his house, talked to the guides and historians, been to the museums, and touched his original furniture, he is not a member of De Stijl as everyone would have you believe.

Genius! Did I say genius yet?! He did things with furniture and buildings that no one had done before or has done since. Some of his most famous designs are the zigzag chair, the red and blue chair, the Rietveld Schroder House, among other monumental design masterpieces.

Now keep in mind, though his furniture is most often seen painted, it was originally produced in a natural finish or painted black and shades of gray, with occasional primary color accents. Rietveld passed away in 1964.

Designer of the month [September]: Richard Neutra
Born and educated in Austria, Richard Neutra came to the United States in 1923. He created iconic designs associated with the 50s & 60s, many in the western US. One of which, most notably, was recently torn down. Other famous works include the Lovell House, and a Kaufman House (as captured here by Julius Shulman) among other work. Along with his contemporaries, he believed in combination and harmony between life and design. Neutra died in 1970 while in Germany.