Weber, Kem, 1889-1963

Biographical/Historical note

The designer Karl Emanuel Martin Weber (called Kem in the United States) was born in Berlin. He was apprenticed to Eduard Schultz, the Royal Cabinetmaker at Potsdam and later studied with Bruno Paul. In 1914 he was sent to San Francisco by the German government to supervise the installation of the German exhibition at the Panama-Pacific Exposition. He remained in the United States and established his practice as a designer/architect in 1919, first in Santa Barbara, and later in Los Angeles. By 1930 he was one of the acknowledged industrial designers in America. After World War II he moved back to Santa Barbara, where he was an active designer and architect up to the time of his death.

From the guide to the Weber, Karl Emanuel Martin (Kem) Collection 1889-1963, Bulk, 1889-1963, 1889-1963, (Architecture & Design Collection)