Dansk Kunsthåndværk [Danish Crafts]
October 1956
Viggo Sten Møller [Adm. Director]
Viggo Sten Møller [Adm. Director]: Dansk Kunsthåndværk [Danish Crafts]. København: Landsforeningen Dansk Kunsthåndværk [National Association of Danish Crafts], October 1956. [Volume 29, No. 10]. Text in Danish and English. Slim quarto. Stapled letterpressed wrappers. 82 pp. Articles and advertisements. Wrappers lightly worn, otherwise a nearly fine copy indeed.
8.25 x 11.75 Danish Journal for Interior Decoration, Design, Crafts and Industry with 32 pages of text and advertisments published by the National Association of Danish Crafts, Copenhagen. The Executive Committee of the National Association of Danish Crafts in 1956 consisted of Poul Michelsen, Jacob Kjaer, Chr. Christiansen, Sigurd Christiansen, Rudolf Jørgensen, Mathalie Krebs, and A. Skjerbaek
Contents
- Eftrer et jubilaeum: Omkring Den Permanente
- Keramik nytårsstatus by Chr. Poulsen: Kirsten Weekes for Saxbo, Johannes Hansen for A/S Knabstrup Keramiske Industri, Nils Kähler for A/S Herman A. Kähler, Richard Kjærgård, Edith Sonne Bruun for Saxbo, and Birte Weggerby
- Fotografier af dansk brugskunst: Vist på landsforeningens årsudstilling 1956: includes work by Jesper Høm, Else Tholstrup and Keld Helmer-Petersen, M. Ingeman Sørensen, and Jonals. Co.
- Möbelhantverk: Göteborgs snickarmästare 300 år: includes work by Bjørn Hultén, Axel Hellquist and Karl Brandt, and Ejvind Beckmann
- Møblerne på årsudstillingen 1956 by Arne Karlson: includes work by Verner Panton Nanna Jørgen Ditzel, Vilhelm Wohlert, Poul Kjærholm for E. Kold Christensen, Vilhelm Wohlert for Odense Stole- and Møbelfabrik, Peter Hvidt and O. Mølgaard Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik, Børge Mogensen for A/S Fredericia Stole- and Polstermøbelfabrik, Peter Hjorth, Steen Eiler Rasmussen and Kai Lyngfeldt arsen for Bovirke, Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansens Eftf., Grete Jalk for P. jeppesens Møbelfabrik, Ejvind A. Johansson for FDB Møbler, Hans Olsen for Jørgen Jensen, Ib Kofold-Laresen for Linnet and Laursen A/S, and Kristian Vedel for Torben Ørskov & Co.
- Barbro Nilsson: og vore egne på Charlottenborg by John Becker
- Keramik-udstilling og nomadeliv: Marianne Herlufsdatter and Lars Thirslund by Axel Brüel
- Mindeudstilling for Johan Rohde sølv by Erik Lassen
- End sections include Danmark—havfruernes land, Købt af Nordenfjeldske, and Roser i naboens have by Poul Sterm
Advertisers include Peter Hvidt and O. Mølgaard Nielsen for France & Daverkosen, Magnus Stephensen for Georg Jensen Sølv, Erik Ole Jørgensen for L.F. Foght, Hans Wegner for A/S Plammøbel, H. P. Jacobsen for Carl M. Cohr, Ejvind A. Johansson for FDB Møbler, and A/S Knabstrup Kermaiske Industri among others.
Dansk Kunsthåndværk [Danish Crafts] was the house organ for the National Association of Danish Crafts in Copenhagen published beginning in 1927. According to their website, the aim of The Danish Arts and Crafts Association 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.
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.”