CONTEMPORARY DANISH DESIGN
Arne Karlsen, Bent Salicath and Mogens Utzon-Frank
Arne Karlsen, Bent Salicath and Mogens Utzon-Frank: CONTEMPORARY DANISH DESIGN. Copenhagen: Danish Society of Arts and Crafts and Industrial Design, 1960. First edition. Text in English. Slim quarto. French folded thick photo illustrated wrappers. Layout by Arne Karlsen. Minor shelf wear including fore edge wear, rubbing and slight staining. Interior unmarked and very clean. Out-of-print. A very good or better copy.
7 x 8.25 soft cover book with 120 pages well-illustrated in black-and-white: "Our domestic heritage is our sober approach to the ideas reaching us from other countries and the sober manner in which we adapt them to our way of life. The Danes are not given to highly dramatic effects, nor is our work in any way drab. Danish design is informal but not without a certain grandeur."
Designers include Lis Ahlmann, Jacob E. Bang, John Becker, Kirsten Becker, Sigvard Bernadotte, Viggo Boesen, Kay Bojesen, Edith Sonne Bruun, Axel Brüel, Hans Bunde, Gudrun Meedom Bæch, Ruth Christensen, Jørgen Ditzel, Nanna Ditzel, Lisa Engqvist, Gutte Eriksen, Helga Fight, Arje Griegst, Ole Hagen, Aage Helbig Hansen, Karl Gustav Hansen, Poul Henningsen, Marianne Herlufsdatter, Erik Herløw, Georg Hetting, Peter Hjorth, Ruth Hull, Peter Hvidt, Ingetoft, Arne Jacobsen, Søren Georg Jensen, Anne Jeppesen, Torsten Johansson, Finn Juhl, Arne Karlsen, Edvard Kindt-Larsen, Tove Kindt-Larsen, Jacob Kjær, Richard Kjærgard, Poul Kjærholm, Esben Klint, Kaare Klint, Vibeke Klint, Ea Koch, Mogens Koch, Henning Koppel, Nathalie Krebs, Herbert Krenchel, Nils Kähler, Ejner Larsen, Marie Gudme Leth, Greth Lindblad, Finn Lynggaard, Per Lütken, A. Bender Madsen, Grethe Meyer, Rolf Middleboe, Børge Mogensen, Marie Moos, Lisbet Munch-Petersen, O. Mølgaard Nielsen, Inger Møller, Ibi Trier Mørch, Tormond Olesen, Bent Gabrielsen Pedersen, Lise Plum, Chr. Poulsen, Jens H. Quistgaard, Franka Rasmussen, Peder Rasmussen, Erik reiff, Dorte Raaschou, Ebbe Sadolin, Axel Salto, Søren Sass, Henning Seidelin, Magnus Stephensen, Eva Stæhr-Nielsen, Julianna Sveinsdottir, Lars Thirslund, Anna Thommesen, Paula Trock, Conny Walther, Ole Wanscher, Gertrud Vasegaard, Myre Vasegaard, Kristian Vedel, Tusta Wefring, Berte Weggerby, Hans J. Wegner, Vilhelm Wohlert, and Gudrun Stig Aagaard.
In 1954 the four Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland arranged what proved to be the most important marketing effort ever for Scandinavian design—the monumental exhibition Design in Scandinavia. From 1954 to 1957 Design in Scandinavia toured the United States and Canada. The exhibition was presented in 27 cities, and it was a huge success, initiated by The Danish Society of Arts and Crafts and its sister organizations in the other participating countries.
Based on the success the four countries established what they called the Scandinavian Design Cavalcade, which had a lot of US press coverage as well. In that connection the July 1959 issue of House Beautiful was centered around The Scandinavian Look in U.S. Homes, and it was Denmark and Danish Design in particular that the magazine focussed on. Besides the editorial pages, the numerous ads illustrates that Danish modern furniture was increasingly gaining a stronghold among certain groups of American consumers.
Importers and retail chains like John Stuart Inc., George Tanier, Raynor and Dunbar etc. now sold Danish modern furniture in the US, and by now it was not only hand crafted furniture from the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibitions but also pieces from industrial furniture producers like Fritz Hansen, Søborg Møbelfabrik, Fredericia Furniture and many others. From the end of the 1950s Danish Department stores and other retailers produced comprehensive brochures and booklets in English with prices in US Dollars presenting Danish Design to American and other tourists.
Without exception, these stores all presented the narrative of Danish modern. “Denmark is known all over the world for its exquisite home furnishing, which are characterized by their outstanding design and superb craftsmanship” the department store Magasin claimed in its brochure “Danish Design.”
The aim of the Danish Society of Arts and Crafts and Industrial Design is to work for the development of Danish arts and crafts; to care for members interest in all matter concerning trade, continued development and education; to propagate for knowledge of and use of artist and crafts-people and their works in all parts of the society; and to strengthen and coordinate the area of arts and crafts with special reference to create knowledge and recognition for arts and crafts as a cultural factor.