Ferdinand Kramer

Ferdinand Kramer (1898-1985) studied at the Bauhaus and went on to realise the school’s socialist ideals more than most of his contemporaries with his involvement in the massive programme of social housing undertaken by the municipal authority of Frankfurt between the two world wars.  Working with Ernst May, Kramer was involved with every aspect of the design of the housing units, from cookers and furniture to door and window handles, two of which are now manufactured by izé.   

One of his levers became one of modernism’s default designs, a softer antidote to the geometric rigour of Gropius’s 1923 lever.  Kramer’s other designs and inventions included a rather improbable sounding paper umbrella, a collapsible plate stand and a folding sun-lounger.