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George Nelson (1908-1986)
George Nelson trained as an architect before joining the Herman Miller (furniture) Co. and becoming its design director for the 1950′s and 60′s. From this position Nelson became one of the most influential modernist designer’s in mid-century America.
Among Nelson’s furniture designs to have become 20th century design classics are the “Marshmellow” sofa (1956), the Ball Clock (1949), the “Slat Bench”, the “Sling Sofa” (1960′s), his “Bubble” and “Cigar” lamps (1952) [...] Click here to continue reading.
Bakelite
Scandal & the Story of Bakelite Bakelite hit the market in 1907, heralding the arrival of the modern plastics industry. Bakelite was the first completely man made plastic, as until then, plastics such as celluloid, casein, and Gutta-Percha all had as a base a natural material. It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Dr. Leo Hendrick Baekeland who started his firm General Bakelite Company to produce the phenolic resin type plastic. Bakelite was inexpensive [...] Click here to continue reading.
Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971)
Jacobsen’s iconic chairs defined an era and remain popular with collectors more than half a century after their introduction.
These days, chairs by Arne Jacobsen are some of the most eagerly sought after by collectors of Mid-Century Modern. Jacobsen’s iconic chairs include the Drop Chair, the Ant Chair and the Swan Chair, but his Egg Chair is by far the most well-known.
Arne Jacobsen Brief Biography Born in Copenhagen in 1902, [...] Click here to continue reading.
Marcel Breuer (1902-1981)
Examples of architect Marcel Breuer’s designs for seating are sought by museums as well as private collectors. Still fresh and relevant after 80 years, Breuer’s classic designs find an eager audience willing to pay substantial prices for early models. Designed in 1925, the Wassily Chair is perhaps Breuer’s best known work. Originally called B3, the name was changed to honor painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). The Wasily chair is still in production [...] Click here to continue reading.
Gilbert Rohde (1894-1944)
-Bauhaus Inspired Designer Revitalized the Herman Miller Company
-Rohde’s successful career included designs for Herman Miller, Heywood-Wakefield, John Widdicomb and more.
-Gilbert Rohde’s furniture featured clean lines and spare yet jewel-like hardware. His early work set the ailing Herman Miller Company on the road to success via modern design and is still popular today.
Gilbert Rohde Brief Biography Born in New York in 1894, Gilbert Rohde was the son of a [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Sarcophagus in Decorative Arts
Derived from the Greek sarx, meaning flesh, and phagein, meaning eat, a sarcophagus is, essentially, a container for a body, much like a coffin or casket. Historically, sarcophagi were typically made of stone (though sometimes of other materials, such as wood or metal), with a relief-carved or pediment top, and designed to be above ground, and have been used by many cultures since ancient times.
An ancient [...] Click here to continue reading.
Eero Saarinen (1910-1961)
Finnish architect Eero Saarinen embraced new materials and technology, and nowhere is that more apparent than in his TWA Terminal Building & his Tulip Series chairs and tables. Fifty plus years after their introduction, Eero Saarinen’s organic furniture designs still look futuristic, and like most classic designs, are at home in a variety of applications.
Eero Saarinen Brief Biography Saarinen was born in 1910 on his father’s birthday. Eero [...] Click here to continue reading.
Jeremiah Haines
Little is known about Jeremiah Haines, although he is listed in American Cabinetmakers: Marked American Furniture, 1640-1940 by William C. Ketchum, Jr.
Ketchum notes the existence of a Chippendale mahogany chest of drawers, circa 1770 to 1790, illustrated in the January 1956 issue of Antiques. The bottom of the piece was inscribed “Made and Sold by Jereiah Haines.”
Skinner, Inc., offered a sideboard signed and dated 1808 at an auction in 2013. [...] Click here to continue reading.
Finn Juhl (1912-1989)
Finn Juhl & His Chieftain Chair Danish architect Finn Juhl brought his own aesthetic to Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern furniture, especially his ethnic inspired sculptural seating still popular today. The Chieftain Chair is Juhl’s best known but by no means his only Mid-Century Modern design classic.
Finn Juhl a Brief Biography Juhl was born in 1912 in Frederiksberg (part of Greater Copenhagen). His authoritarian father was a textile wholesaler representing a [...] Click here to continue reading.
Eames Furniture for Herman Miller ESU storage unit/entertainment center, by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, p4A item D9851741
Ray and Charles Eames designs for Herman Miller included casework, tables, sofas and architectural accessories as well as their ubiquitous chairs. The Eamses had a long and successful partnership with the furniture manufacturer including many products that have been in continuous production for fifty years. Vintage versions of Eames designs are eagerly sought after [...] Click here to continue reading.
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