Kem Weber

Kem Weber (1889-1963) was a furniture and industrial designer, an architect, art director, and a teacher. He was born Karl Emanuel Martin in Berlin, Germany.

Weber trained as a cabinetmaker before enrolling at the School of Decorative Arts in Berlin in 1908, where he studied with Bruno Paul. He graduated in 1912, and came to San Francisco, California to supervise work on the German pavilion at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. World War I began while he was in California and he was stranded.

Weber stayed in the United States, becoming a U. S. citizen in 1924. It is not clear why Weber took the name Weber (weaver), but "Kem" is formed from his original initials. An art director for Barker Bros. Furniture in Los Angeles, he also designed modern sets for films and private residences. His most famous work is probably the "Airline" chair (1934). Weber is also noted for being the main architect of the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California.