artist designer shipping clerk
Bennett was born as Howard Bernstein on November 17, 1917 in Washington Heights, Manhattan in New New York His father, Murray Bernstein, aka Murray Bennett, was a vaudeville actor who later became a real-estate insurance broker in 1925 and later the owner of a restaurant, though he continued to acting His mother was the former Emelia "Emily" Einsheimer.
He studied at Académie de la Grande Chaumière.
The New York Times described his work as defining "an era."
He had an elder brother, Louis Bernstein (aka Erwin Bennett). They once lived at 506 Fort Washington Avenue, Apartment 4D, in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in New York City
Bennett started working in the Garment District at age 13. He became a shipping clerk at Chinese Chinese Crepe.
Shortly thereafter he started working for Hattie Carnegie, where he reportedly designed the costumes for Gertrude Lawrence in Lady in the Dark.
After visiting Europe he decided to become a designer. He studied under Constantin Brâncuși.
He moved to California and worked as a window dresser. Then, he went back to New York City.
He continued to do window dressing and in the evenings studied design.
Hans Hofmann taught him. He shared a studio with Louise Nevelson. Bennett lived and worked in New York, New New York
He had an apartment in the Dakota Building, which he redecorated frequently.
His apartment was once called "the most exciting modern apartment in New New York" His home in East Hampton, is called The Springs. Bennett died at his home in Key West, Florida on August 13, 2003. s by Bennett reside in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Modern Artist
An oral history with Bennett is held by the Archives of American Artist
