Mobilia no. 188
March 1971
Nina Bratvold, Mette Bratvold, Grete Jalk [Editors]
Nina Bratvold, Mette Bratvold, Grete Jalk [Editors]: Mobilia no. 188. Snekkersten, Denmark: Mobilia, March 1971. Original edition. Text in Danish, English, German and French. Perfect bound and side stapled wrappers. Unpaginated. Multiple paper stocks. Fully illustrated articles in black and white and some color. Period furniture advertisements. Wrappers light worn but a very good or better copy.
10.25 x 10.18 magazine with elaborately designed editorial content and period furniture advertisements. The editors described their magazine thus: “Mobilia is an international subscription periodical for furniture, art, handicraft, etc. Mobilia is published in two issues, one of them in Danish and English, and the other one in Swedish and German, the text having been translated as a whole. Mobilia is issued to all members of Møbelfabrikantforeningen i Danmark [The Association of Danish Furniture manufacturers], of Møbelhandlernes Centralforening i Danmark [The Association of Furniture Dealers in Denmark], and of Indendørs Arkitekt Foreningen [The Association of Interior Architects]; in Sweden a collective subscription has been taken by Sveriges Möbelindustriförbund [The Association of Swedish Furniture Manufacturers]. “
- Body Furniture by Minoru Takeyama: 2 pages in color.
- Porcelain Paradoxes At Bing & Grøndahl’s, Copenhagen: 20 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Interspace – Nanna Ditzel & Kurt Heide in London: 6 pages in glorious, glorious color.
- Watches by Ole Mathiesen: 10 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Unique Folded Lamps by Poul Christiansen: : 2 pages in black and white.
- Chairs + Sofas by Grete Jalk: 5 pages in color and black and white.
- Paris 71 Furniture Fair: 19 pages in color and black and white.
- Nails at Moderna Museet by Gunther Ueckers: 6 pages in black and white.
- Om: Piet Hein, etc.
Includes work by Chan Kwok Hoi, Willy Reinstain, Vittorio Introini, Pierluigi Spadolini, Paolo Felli, Pierre Cardin, Pagnon, Hans Eichenberger, Claude Courtecuisse, J. L. Møller, Johannes Larsen, and others.
Includes advertising work by Rud Thygesen & Johnny Sørensen, H. G. Møbler, Norell, Arne Norell, Herman Miller Furniture Company, Charles Eames, Boltinge Stolefabrik, Bang & Olufsen, Fritz Hansen, Piet Hein, Domus Danica, Nanna Ditzel, Kevi, Jørgen Rasmussen,and more.
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.”