DANSK MØBELDESIGN 125 ÅR
DANISH FURNITURE DESIGN THROUGH 125 YEARS
[FRITZ HANSEN 1872 – 1997]
Poul Hvidberg-Hansen
Poul Hvidberg-Hansen: DANSK MØBELDESIGN | 125 ÅR | DANISH FURNITURE DESIGN THROUGH 125 YEARS [FRITZ HANSEN 1872 – 1997]. Æblehaven: Kunstmuseet Trapholt, 1997. First edition. Printed portfolio enclosing three documents: a 58-page exhibit catalog, a 44-page Fritz Hansen Furniture catalog and a single-page Fritz Hansen modern production timeline. Exhibit catalog text in Danish, English and German. Fritz Hansen catalog text in Danish, English, German, French and Japanese. Portfolio with trivial wear, contents in fine condition.
(2) 8.25 x 11.5 soft cover books—a perfect-bound exhibit catalog with 58 well-illustrated pages and a wire-bound Fritz Hansen catalog with 44 well-illustrated pages. Also includes a one-page Fritz Hansen modern production timeline promotion. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name.
Contents of the Exhibit Catalog
- Forord
- Fra Snedkeritil Industri: 1872–1925
- Funktionalisme: 1925–1939
- Besættelse of Efterkrigsperiode: 1950–1950
- International Modernisme — Arne Jacobsen: 1950–1970
- Poul Kjærholm: 1950–1980
- Systemmøbler: 1970–1979
- NY Orientering: 1980–1997
- Værkfortegnelse
Includes work by Mogens Lassen, Chr. E. Hansen, Hans Wegner, Børge Mogensen, Oscar Kjær, Arne Jacobsen, Bruno Mathsson, Piet Hein, Poul Kjærholm, Verner Panton, Jens Ammundsen and Vico Magistretti among others.
The Danish furniture design company Fritz Hansen, aka Republic of Fritz Hansen, was founded in 1872. The Danish carpenter FRitz hansen introduced his first chair in steam bent wood in 1915. Arne Jacobsen first collaborated with Fritz Hansen in 1934 and proceeded to design many classic Danish Design icons, including the 'Ant' (1952), the 'Series 7' (1955), the 'Grand Prix' (1957) the 'Swan' (1958), and the 'Egg' (1958).
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, Raymor 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.”