Mobilia no. 201
April 1972
Nina Bratvold, Mette Bratvold, Grete Jalk, Klaus Meedom [Editors]
Nina Bratvold, Mette Bratvold, Grete Jalk, Klaus Meedom [Editors]: Mobilia no. 201. Snekkersten, Denmark: Mobilia, April 1972. 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]. “
- New Furniture By Jørgen Kastholm/Danish Architect: 10 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- More Wood Than Plastic, More Plastic Than Steel: 6 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Henning Koppel: 12 page feature fully illustrated in color and black and white.
- Westnofa–An Export Organisation In Norway: 12 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Wire Furniture By Verner Panton: 15 page feature fully illustrated in color and black and white.
- Visiting A Furniture Exhibition Without Being Exhausted: Ulf Hård Af Segerstad essay
- Element
- Muurame – A Factory In Finland
- Lammhults Mekaniska Verkstad AB: 10 page feature fully illustrated in color and black and white.
- Bornholm Stoneware By Hans Hjorthl: 6 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Vatnel: 8 page feature fully illustrated in black and white.
- Plastic-Pause
- Om: Piet hein Games, etc.
Includes work by Jan Dranger, Johan Huldt, Jan Ekselius, Carl-Henrik Spak, Nisse Strinning, Arne Norell, Ahti Taskinen, Mikael Björnstjerna, Hans Ehrlin, Sven Ivar Dysthe, Ingmar Relling, Lindau & Linderkrantz, Peter Opsvik, Verner Panton, Erik Jørgensen, Pirko Stenros, Sven Kai Larsen, and others.
Includes advertising work by Domino Møbler, L. F. Fought,Siso, Hans Eichenberger, Domus Danica, Viskadalens Möbelindustri, Cylinda-Line, Arne Jacobsen, Robsahm Textiles, Ateljé Lyktan Ab Åhus, E. Pedersen & Søn, Bodil Kjær, Ericsson Telemateriel, Frederik Fiedler, Den Permanente, AB Olof Person, Pethrus Lindlöf, AB Lindlöf Möbler, Dux, Horsnæs, Norell, Arne Norell, Erik Lehman Hansen, Ureform AS, A/S Mogens Kold, N. O. Møller, J. L. Møller, Fog & Mørup, Claus Bonderup, Torsten Thorup, Muurame, J. O. Carlsson, Jan Ekselius, Erik Jørgensen, Rud Thygesen & Johnny Sørensen, Cado, Sigurd Resell, 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.”