Zelina Comegys Brunschwig (died September 10, 1981) was an interior and fabric designer.
Early life
Zelina Comegys Brunschwig was born in Rock Island,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, the daughter of Thomas Parsons Comegys and Eliza Virginia Thompson Comegys. She graduated from
Rock Island High School
Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky", is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Rocky is within the Rock Island–Milan School District 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold.
Administrat ...
in 1914, and taught kindergarten to support her younger sisters for 14 years before attending Parsons School of Design to study interior design. After her graduation, she began work at McMillen Inc. In 1929. She married Colonel
Roger E. Brunschwig Roger Etienne Brunschwig (July 14, 1891 — Dec 7, 1972) Commander of the Legion of Honor, was a much‐decorated French hero of the two world wars.
Career
Brunschwig & Fils was established in 1891 by Achille Brunschwig as a tapestry-weaving mill in Aubusson and Bohain,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, as her husband joined the
Free French forces
__NOTOC__
The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...
and was one of the founders of France Forever, Brunschwig took the lead of the company as the director of design and later as vice president. Determined to have the company's collection survive, she worked with American mills to substitute parachute cloth for silk and unbleached muslin for linen to weave and print designs without French imports. Under Brunschwig's leadership, the company expanded to offer wallcoverings and trimmings after the war.
In 1946, Brunschwig worked with the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
to create the first printed textiles competition and exhibition. The winner of the competition would see their designs in 19 stores nationwide and win $1,000, furnished by Brunschwig. It generated huge interest and 2,443 designs were submitted. The first prize winner was Yvonne Delattre.
In 1951, she was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French Government for her contributions to the people of France during and after the war.
Throughout her work, she emphasized the importance of history in working with period
toile
Toile (French for "canvas") is a textile fabric comparable to fine batiste with a cloth weave. Natural silk or chemical fiber filaments are usually used as materials. The word ''toile'' can refer to the fabric itself or to a test garment sewn ...
s,
damask
Damask (; ar, دمشق) is a reversible patterned fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin ...
s and brocades in modern home décor.
She died in September 1981, at the age of 84, in New York City. Her sister Celeste Comegys Peardon wrote children's books for classroom use.