Digging for Gold in Old Danish Designs
Firms not only are reissuing works by popular midcentury designers, they’re also producing pieces from once-rejected sketches
Kasper Iversen
July 12, 2016
Say the words “Danish design,” and many people automatically think of furniture and lighting from the 1950s and 1960s by designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Hans J Wegner and Poul Henningsen. Even though these design giants died long ago and Denmark has many young designers, “new” offerings from the old guard are constantly showing up. Capitalizing on the popularity of midcentury design, heirs and manufacturers are digging into the archives and finding patterns, sketches and drawings that they are reviving, putting into production and launching onto the market.
Products from these iconic designers are in great demand, but the trend is facing criticism. Is it really OK to bring to life the rejected creations of those who have passed away? Are the design masters always better than the new designers? And what would Jacobsen or Henningsen say if they knew their old work was suddenly being given new life?
Products from these iconic designers are in great demand, but the trend is facing criticism. Is it really OK to bring to life the rejected creations of those who have passed away? Are the design masters always better than the new designers? And what would Jacobsen or Henningsen say if they knew their old work was suddenly being given new life?
Drop chair by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. Designed and launched in 1958; relaunched in new colors and materials in 2014.
Goldsmith and designer Tobias Jacobsen, grandson of legendary designer Arne Jacobsen, has an intense interest in design heritage. He works as a consultant with manufacturers to bring life to his grandfather’s archives of sketches.
Houzz Quiz: Which Midcentury Modern Chair Are You?
Goldsmith and designer Tobias Jacobsen, grandson of legendary designer Arne Jacobsen, has an intense interest in design heritage. He works as a consultant with manufacturers to bring life to his grandfather’s archives of sketches.
Houzz Quiz: Which Midcentury Modern Chair Are You?
Bankers wall clock by Arne Jacobsen for Arne Jacobsen ure, Rosendahl.
One of Tobias Jacobsen’s main objectives is to keep his grandfather’s designs alive. Among other products, a line of tablecloths, linens and towels based on old sketched patterns has been created and is in production at Georg Jensen Damask.
Another example is clocks, which Arne Jacobsen used on the facades of town halls and the Danish National Bank, but which Tobias Jacobsen, together with Danish firm Rosendahl, has recently revived as wall and alarm clocks for homes.
One of Tobias Jacobsen’s main objectives is to keep his grandfather’s designs alive. Among other products, a line of tablecloths, linens and towels based on old sketched patterns has been created and is in production at Georg Jensen Damask.
Another example is clocks, which Arne Jacobsen used on the facades of town halls and the Danish National Bank, but which Tobias Jacobsen, together with Danish firm Rosendahl, has recently revived as wall and alarm clocks for homes.
Tablecloth, with a pattern based on an old Arne Jacobsen sketch, Georg Jensen Damask.
Royal glasses by Arne Jacobsen, Holmegaard.
“We’ve also revived the Royal glasses series, which [Arne] drew up in 1960 for the SAS [Royal] Hotel in Copenhagen, the world’s first design hotel,” Jacobsen says. “The wineglasses were produced in a limited number and only for the SAS hotel that one time, but Holmegaard has put them back into production again. As a designer and architect, I see clear traces of both the Egg and the Swan [chairs], and even his door handles and soupspoons, in those glasses.”
“We’ve also revived the Royal glasses series, which [Arne] drew up in 1960 for the SAS [Royal] Hotel in Copenhagen, the world’s first design hotel,” Jacobsen says. “The wineglasses were produced in a limited number and only for the SAS hotel that one time, but Holmegaard has put them back into production again. As a designer and architect, I see clear traces of both the Egg and the Swan [chairs], and even his door handles and soupspoons, in those glasses.”
Station table clock by Arne Jacobsen for Arne Jacobsen ure, Rosendahl.
“As a designer, I know how difficult it is to get your design sold and produced, so it’s kind of funny and amazing to experience how easy it is to sell Arne’s. They’re very popular,” Jacobsen says.
“On the surface, it can seem like a simple and uncomplicated solution to find a design in grandfather’s gold mine, and then quickly just put it into production, but there are actually several difficult considerations associated with doing that,” he says.
“We’re up to 180 new patterns, and more new ones are constantly showing up. It’s obviously a big challenge to evaluate and choose what to set in motion and what to let go, because not everything my grandfather created is plausible — though almost everything is,” Jacobsen says. “We’ve found some sketches with animal motifs that are a little too childish, which shows one of his weaknesses, and the world doesn’t need to know about that. I don’t want that.”
“As a designer, I know how difficult it is to get your design sold and produced, so it’s kind of funny and amazing to experience how easy it is to sell Arne’s. They’re very popular,” Jacobsen says.
“On the surface, it can seem like a simple and uncomplicated solution to find a design in grandfather’s gold mine, and then quickly just put it into production, but there are actually several difficult considerations associated with doing that,” he says.
“We’re up to 180 new patterns, and more new ones are constantly showing up. It’s obviously a big challenge to evaluate and choose what to set in motion and what to let go, because not everything my grandfather created is plausible — though almost everything is,” Jacobsen says. “We’ve found some sketches with animal motifs that are a little too childish, which shows one of his weaknesses, and the world doesn’t need to know about that. I don’t want that.”
Trapez wallpaper using a design by Arne Jacobsen, Boråstapeter.
Additionally, a lot of work goes into adapting the designs to current times while still showing respect for the originals. That was the case with some patterns the younger Jacobsen brought to life as wallpaper in cooperation with the Swedish company Boråstapeter.
So Your Style Is: Midcentury Modern
Additionally, a lot of work goes into adapting the designs to current times while still showing respect for the originals. That was the case with some patterns the younger Jacobsen brought to life as wallpaper in cooperation with the Swedish company Boråstapeter.
So Your Style Is: Midcentury Modern
Epsilon wallpaper using a design by Arne Jacobsen, Boråstapeter.
“It should be done slowly and thoroughly, like it was in Arne’s own time. If things are done too quickly, then they fade quickly. If they come into being more slowly, then they keep longer. I’ve spent many weeks together with the staff at Boråstapeter in order to obtain exactly the right quality in the print. It should be like a beautiful watercolor,” Jacobsen says.
However, not everyone is equally enthused about giving past designers’ old sketches new life. Christian Holmsted Olesen, the head of exhibitions and collections at Designmuseum Danmark, is skeptical of the trend. “There’s often a reason why the furniture didn’t get put into production at the time, and often that reason is that the designer or manufacturer didn’t feel it was good enough,” he says.
There are several examples of finding hidden gems in the archives, which have then successfully been put into production, Holmsted Olesen says. But he has also seen the opposite. “I’m afraid that both manufacturers and users are sometimes blinded by the fact that it says Arne Jacobsen, Wegner or PH on a piece of furniture, and therefore completely lose their critical sense and forget to ask themselves whether it’s actually a good design. Then it’s more about worshipping a name,” he says.
“It should be done slowly and thoroughly, like it was in Arne’s own time. If things are done too quickly, then they fade quickly. If they come into being more slowly, then they keep longer. I’ve spent many weeks together with the staff at Boråstapeter in order to obtain exactly the right quality in the print. It should be like a beautiful watercolor,” Jacobsen says.
However, not everyone is equally enthused about giving past designers’ old sketches new life. Christian Holmsted Olesen, the head of exhibitions and collections at Designmuseum Danmark, is skeptical of the trend. “There’s often a reason why the furniture didn’t get put into production at the time, and often that reason is that the designer or manufacturer didn’t feel it was good enough,” he says.
There are several examples of finding hidden gems in the archives, which have then successfully been put into production, Holmsted Olesen says. But he has also seen the opposite. “I’m afraid that both manufacturers and users are sometimes blinded by the fact that it says Arne Jacobsen, Wegner or PH on a piece of furniture, and therefore completely lose their critical sense and forget to ask themselves whether it’s actually a good design. Then it’s more about worshipping a name,” he says.
Kubus candleholder by Mogens Lassen. Designed and launched in 1962; recently relaunched in new colors, including white, chrome and bronze, by the design company by Lassen.
Pelican chair by Finn Juhl. Designed and launched in 1940; relaunched by Onecollection in 2001.
At the same time, Holmsted Olesen says, it shows laziness, “safe play” and a lack of imagination by the manufacturers, and he believes that they don’t make room for young designers when they keep worshipping the old ones to such a high degree.
“Design should mirror the times we live in. If design doesn’t get developed using modern materials and capabilities, then you become a museum, and then Denmark can’t be a leading international design nation,” he says.
“When Danish design became such a big success in the 1950s, it was because, among other reasons, there was a large willingness to take risks among the manufacturers. They were family-owned operations with a passion for design and furniture, while many manufacturers today have no concern for furniture at all, but instead only think commercially.”
At the same time, Holmsted Olesen says, it shows laziness, “safe play” and a lack of imagination by the manufacturers, and he believes that they don’t make room for young designers when they keep worshipping the old ones to such a high degree.
“Design should mirror the times we live in. If design doesn’t get developed using modern materials and capabilities, then you become a museum, and then Denmark can’t be a leading international design nation,” he says.
“When Danish design became such a big success in the 1950s, it was because, among other reasons, there was a large willingness to take risks among the manufacturers. They were family-owned operations with a passion for design and furniture, while many manufacturers today have no concern for furniture at all, but instead only think commercially.”
The iconic Artichoke pendant light by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen. Designed in 1958 and produced continuously ever since.
Before long, furniture from Poul Henningsen, or PH, as he is known in Denmark, will see the light of day. The Danish designer is world-famous for his lampshade-focused lights, including the Artichoke, but he also designed furniture, which will be released this year, according to Søren Vincents Svendsen, director and owner of ToneArt Interior, which has obtained the rights to produce Henningsen’s furniture.
“When we began digging in the archives, it became clear that Poul Henningsen was actually a more prolific designer of furniture than lamps. I’m not sure we’ve dug everything up yet, but for now we’ve found sketches and drawings for 70 different pieces of furniture, from armchairs and a coffee table to a conference table and a rocking horse,” he says.
Before long, furniture from Poul Henningsen, or PH, as he is known in Denmark, will see the light of day. The Danish designer is world-famous for his lampshade-focused lights, including the Artichoke, but he also designed furniture, which will be released this year, according to Søren Vincents Svendsen, director and owner of ToneArt Interior, which has obtained the rights to produce Henningsen’s furniture.
“When we began digging in the archives, it became clear that Poul Henningsen was actually a more prolific designer of furniture than lamps. I’m not sure we’ve dug everything up yet, but for now we’ve found sketches and drawings for 70 different pieces of furniture, from armchairs and a coffee table to a conference table and a rocking horse,” he says.
Contemporary prototype of the Axe table by Poul Henningsen for PH Møbler, ToneArt Interior.
When you ask Vincents Svendsen why there’s a need for Henningsen’s furniture today, the answer is clear. “The world doesn’t need more furniture —there are plenty of tables and chairs. But I believe the world has a use for looking back in history and finding the best from the past and bringing it into the present. There’s storytelling in each and every piece of furniture here, and we have a use for that — it’s interesting,” he says.
One example of this storytelling is found in the Axe table. When Henningsen visited Canada in 1954, he found himself inspired by forestry workers’ axes. He brought eight ax shafts home, put them under a table surface and, boom, he’d designed a table.
When you ask Vincents Svendsen why there’s a need for Henningsen’s furniture today, the answer is clear. “The world doesn’t need more furniture —there are plenty of tables and chairs. But I believe the world has a use for looking back in history and finding the best from the past and bringing it into the present. There’s storytelling in each and every piece of furniture here, and we have a use for that — it’s interesting,” he says.
One example of this storytelling is found in the Axe table. When Henningsen visited Canada in 1954, he found himself inspired by forestry workers’ axes. He brought eight ax shafts home, put them under a table surface and, boom, he’d designed a table.
Contemporary prototype of a table by Poul Henningsen for PH Møbler, ToneArt Interior.
“When PH drew these pieces of furniture, primarily in the 1920s and 1930s, they were partly too provocative and eccentric for the times, and partly the tools and technology to produce them didn’t exist, so they were too expensive to produce. He was simply ahead of his time,” says Vincents Svendsen about the Henningsen pieces. Some of the designs were originally produced as prototypes, while others were made in small numbers, and the rest remained only as drawings.
“When PH drew these pieces of furniture, primarily in the 1920s and 1930s, they were partly too provocative and eccentric for the times, and partly the tools and technology to produce them didn’t exist, so they were too expensive to produce. He was simply ahead of his time,” says Vincents Svendsen about the Henningsen pieces. Some of the designs were originally produced as prototypes, while others were made in small numbers, and the rest remained only as drawings.
Contemporary prototype of a table by Poul Henningsen for PH Møbler, ToneArt Interior.
Vincents Svendsen’s interest in Henningsen’s designs got serious a few years ago when he laid eyes on a grand piano that Henningsen drew in 1931. Vincents Svendsen obtained the rights and put it into production. Later this year, he’s launching the first PH furniture. The first round will probably be a collection of 10 to 15 pieces.
“The trick is choosing the right pieces of furniture, because it’s not enough to bring Danish cultural heritage into the future —it also needs to be in demand and salable on the market today,” he says. Most of Henningsen’s sketches are for wood furniture, which aligns with modern demand, Vincents Svendsen says.
Vincents Svendsen’s interest in Henningsen’s designs got serious a few years ago when he laid eyes on a grand piano that Henningsen drew in 1931. Vincents Svendsen obtained the rights and put it into production. Later this year, he’s launching the first PH furniture. The first round will probably be a collection of 10 to 15 pieces.
“The trick is choosing the right pieces of furniture, because it’s not enough to bring Danish cultural heritage into the future —it also needs to be in demand and salable on the market today,” he says. Most of Henningsen’s sketches are for wood furniture, which aligns with modern demand, Vincents Svendsen says.
Cylinda-line tea and coffee service by Arne Jacobsen for Stelton.
In the meantime, Arne Jacobsen’s heir doesn’t think the question of whether it’s OK to release old designs can be regarded so simply, because he believes that the old gurus had something the modern designers fail to live up to.
“I recently saw the futuristic film I, Robot, starring Will Smith, which is supposed to take place in the year 2035. And which coffee jug are they using? Arne Jacobsen’s Stelton design, and cutlery from Georg Jensen. I mean, it’s crazy that they used my grandfather’s old designs to illustrate the future,” he says. “It shows how forward-thinking he was and how his designs still pass muster today.”
But is it really ethically defensible to put new things into production in the name of deceased designers? What would the old creators say if they were alive today?
“I can certainly understand the question, and for obvious reasons, we will never know for sure what PH would think about it,” Vincents Svendsen says. “But I’m convinced he put so much energy into the drawings that it was not he himself, but rather the demand at the time, that meant they never made it onto the market. I don’t think it’s a problem, as long as we produce them in accordance with the original design and have a good dialogue with the heirs.”
In the meantime, Arne Jacobsen’s heir doesn’t think the question of whether it’s OK to release old designs can be regarded so simply, because he believes that the old gurus had something the modern designers fail to live up to.
“I recently saw the futuristic film I, Robot, starring Will Smith, which is supposed to take place in the year 2035. And which coffee jug are they using? Arne Jacobsen’s Stelton design, and cutlery from Georg Jensen. I mean, it’s crazy that they used my grandfather’s old designs to illustrate the future,” he says. “It shows how forward-thinking he was and how his designs still pass muster today.”
But is it really ethically defensible to put new things into production in the name of deceased designers? What would the old creators say if they were alive today?
“I can certainly understand the question, and for obvious reasons, we will never know for sure what PH would think about it,” Vincents Svendsen says. “But I’m convinced he put so much energy into the drawings that it was not he himself, but rather the demand at the time, that meant they never made it onto the market. I don’t think it’s a problem, as long as we produce them in accordance with the original design and have a good dialogue with the heirs.”
PK22 lounge chair, launched in 1956, and PK80 daybed, launched in 1957, by Poul Kjærholm for Fritz Hansen.
Holmsted Olesen says some designers thought a lot about their legacy. Danish furniture designer Poul Kjærholm, for example, destroyed all sketches and drawings before his death so that he could be sure no one would use them afterward. In contrast, Hans J Wegner hid everything, and, according to Holmsted Olesen, there are sketches for 2,000 pieces of furniture ready to be put into production.
Modern Icons: Poul Kjærholm’s PK22 Easy Chair
Holmsted Olesen says some designers thought a lot about their legacy. Danish furniture designer Poul Kjærholm, for example, destroyed all sketches and drawings before his death so that he could be sure no one would use them afterward. In contrast, Hans J Wegner hid everything, and, according to Holmsted Olesen, there are sketches for 2,000 pieces of furniture ready to be put into production.
Modern Icons: Poul Kjærholm’s PK22 Easy Chair
Mosaic towels, with a pattern based on an old Arne Jacobsen sketch, Georg Jensen Damask.
For Tobias Jacobsen, it’s vital that his grandfather Arne Jacobsen’s design heritage continues in the right spirit.
“I’m very conscious of how it goes forward, and I’ve considered this carefully because my grandfather’s patterns are printed on towels, with which people dry their bodies. But the manufacturer, Georg Jensen Damask, is famous for its outstanding weave quality, so I think it’s defensible. But I would never allow his designs to be printed on a Gucci bag or, for that matter, toilet paper,” he says.
And what would Arne Jacobsen say, if he knew his designs had been revived after his death? “My grandfather wasn’t just a great designer, he was also a great businessman, so I think he would smile, go to the bakery, buy his favorite pastry and celebrate it.”
More
Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
How to Get Midcentury Modern Style Today
For Tobias Jacobsen, it’s vital that his grandfather Arne Jacobsen’s design heritage continues in the right spirit.
“I’m very conscious of how it goes forward, and I’ve considered this carefully because my grandfather’s patterns are printed on towels, with which people dry their bodies. But the manufacturer, Georg Jensen Damask, is famous for its outstanding weave quality, so I think it’s defensible. But I would never allow his designs to be printed on a Gucci bag or, for that matter, toilet paper,” he says.
And what would Arne Jacobsen say, if he knew his designs had been revived after his death? “My grandfather wasn’t just a great designer, he was also a great businessman, so I think he would smile, go to the bakery, buy his favorite pastry and celebrate it.”
More
Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
How to Get Midcentury Modern Style Today
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Many thanks,
Natascia
I love these mid century Danish furniture designs. The problem is the they can be quite pricey. There are a lot of low quality reproductions out there on the market that you should try to avoid. However you should check out some higher quality inspired reproductions for mid century lounge chairs.
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