HVERDAGENS STOLE
Fritz Hansens Eft.s virksomhed gennem den sidste menneskealder
Erk Lassen [Curator]
[København: Fritz Hansen EFT. A/S / Inc., 1957]. Original edition. Text in Danish with brief accounts in English and German. Octavo. Cream cloth decorated in black. 56 pp. 55 black and white photographs and text illustrations. Former owners inked and dated name to front free endpaper, otherwise a fine copy.
6.65 x 8.5 hardcover book with 56 pages and 55 black and white photographs and text illustrations. Text in Danish with brief accounts in English and German. Lovely keepsake produced by Fritz Hansen showing the companys’ product evolution through the 20th century, with the translated title “Everyday Chairs. Fritz Hansen's Business Throughout the Last Human Age.”
Includes work by Søren Hansen, Kaj Gottlob, Fritz Schlegel, Magnus Stephensen, Mart Stam, Viggo Sten Møller, Christian E, Hansen, Kaare Klint, A. O. Larsen, Aage Herman Olsen, Hans J. Wegner, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt & O. Mølgaard-Nielsen, Arne Jacobsen, Ejnar Larsen & A. Bender Madsen, Verner Panton, Alf Svensson, H. Engholm & Sven Aa. Willumsen, Palle Suenson, and Nanna & Jørgen Ditzel.
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 1963 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 1963 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.”