The Chieftain And The Chair

A history of how Danish design rose to prominence in the postwar United States, becoming shorthand for stylish modern comfort. Today, Danish Modern design is synonymous with clean, midcentury cool. During the 1950s and ‘60s, it flourished as the furniture choice for Americans who hoped to signal they were current and chic. But how did this happen? How did Danish Modern become the design movement of the times? In The Chieftain and the Chair, Maggie Taft tells the tale of our love affair with Danish Modern design. Structured as a biography of two iconic chairs—Finn Juhl’s Chieftain Chair and Hans Wegner’s Round Chair, both designed and first fabricated in 1949—this book follows the chairs from conception and fabrication through marketing, distribution, and use. Drawing on research in public and private archives, Taft considers how political, economic, and cultural forces in interwar Denmark laid the foundations for the postwar furniture industry, and she tracks the deliberate maneuvering on the part of Danish creatives and manufacturers to cater to an American market. Taft also reveals how American tastemakers and industrialists were eager to harness Danish design to serve American interests and how furniture manufacturers around the world were quick to capitalize on the fad by flooding the market with copies. Sleek and minimalist, Danish Modern has experienced a resurgence of popularity in the last few decades and remains a sought-after design. This accessible and engaging history offers a unique look at its enduring rise among tastemakers.

"In this lively book, Maggie Taft tells the story of how Danish modern furniture emerged in the wake of WWII and became all the rage in the US. By the 1950s Danish Modern furniture was everywhere-in living rooms and on the political stage. A Danish Modern chair was chosen for the first televised presidential debate, in 1960, between JFK and Richard Nixon. When the broadcast began, there were Nixon and Kennedy, sleekly seated in Hans Wegner's "Round Chair." Thanks to that broadcast, an international star, nicknamed simply "the Chair," was born. The story of Danish Modern that Taft tells is anchored in the biographies of two notable chairs: "the Chair" and another one known rather grandly as "The Chieftain" (based on Viking folklore) designed by Finn Juhl. Like Nixon and Kennedy, like Buckley and Vidal, like Elvis and the Beatles, these chairs and their designers and manufacturers duked it out for the hearts and minds and rumps of Americans sitting in front of their TV sets, drinking cocktails, getting frisky on the Danish sofas in their living rooms (and, yes, Mad Men fans, in their offices). These chairs serve as the opportunity for Taft to tell the broader tale of our love affair with Danish Modern-and with our continuing admiration for the innovative style of the early postwar period"--

Presents 110 Danish chairs and charts their success at home and abroad from the mid-20th century until the present day In the mid-20th century design became a cultural phenomenon that placed Denmark on the world map. Danish Design emerged in 1949 as a real brand, when American journalists started to write about Danish furniture in relation to a furniture exhibition by Snedkerlauget in Copenhagen. 'Den runde stol' made by Hans. J. Wegner was given the name 'The Chair'. This was not only the beginning of a great export adventure but also a challenge for the Danish designers, who became world recognized for their obsession with creating the perfect chair. The chair has always been the touchstone of designers and the design historians' favourite object. It touches and reflects the body it carries with arms, legs, seat and back. Besides this point, the chair is one of our most culture-bearing design objects and it tells a story about the period and the society from which it was created. In a very unique way this book shows, not just in words but also with drawings and photos how Danish chairs are built on historical furniture types, which are then refined into the infinite. The message and the explanation for the international success of Danish furniture is this; Danish furniture design is based on foreign culture and the best creations of former times.

"Finn Juhl was part of the ... movement known as Danish Modern, which lasted from around 1930 until the end of the 1960s ... One of the first to achieve international success, [he] paved the way for Danish Modern to become an international 'brand' for Danish furniture design. This book shines a spotlight not only on Finn Juhl's house but also on Juhl as a modernist and man of the world ... It focuses on the period from [his] first experimental furniture in the 1930s through the golden age in the 1940s and 1950s to today, when the furniture has experienced a renaissance as design classics and collector's items"--Publisher's description.

A richly illustrated presentation of Danish Mid-Century furniture classics and the iconic designers who created them Danish design plays an important part in what has come to be known as the Mid- Century Modern style. Timeless furniture pieces, such as the Hans J. Wegner's Y-Chair and Finn Juhl's Chieftain Chair, influenced designers all over the world and are still considered classics. This book is the first to present an overview of the furniture created by Danish designers and architects, in the period between 1945-1975, tracing the movement from beginning to end. Design history expert Lars Dybdahl provides thorough descriptions and analyses of particular furniture pieces, never failing to situate them within a historical and cultural context. The book is richly illustrated, showcasing the aesthetic development from post-war Denmark to the swinging sixties and seventies.

"Chairs: 20th-Century Classics" features more than 95 of the most desirable, influential and iconic designs from the last century. Part of a series featuring Collectables and Lighting, this book is beautifully illustrated and provides key information to the reader, whether he or she be a collector or just someone with an interest in design and interiors. Organized by decade each entry comprises: a double-page spread, featuring a short essay on the classic under discussion and a photograph of that object; top tips on what to look out for when considering a purchase; a price guide in UK sterling and US dollars; and, essential websites for further information. "Chairs" will provide all the information you need to make an informed decision when investing in a piece of classic design, whether it be an original Arne Jacobsen Ant, a Harry Bertoia sculpted Bird Lounge Chair, Alvar Aalto's superbly constructed 41 Paimio or an iconic Eames piece such as La Chaise. This gorgeous book is essential for anyone interested in industrial design, interiors or 20th-century furniture.

The first-ever comprehensive monograph on one of Denmark's most influential Modernist design pioneers Danish architect, interior-, and industrial designer Finn Juhl is best known for his furniture. Credited in the creation of the international 'Danish design' phenomenon of the 1940s and 1950s, his interior for the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York introduced Danish Modern to America. A resurgence of interest in Finn Juhl's work, the advent of the retro trend, and Juhl's elevation to cult status in Japan places him firmly at the forefront of mid-century Danish design.

The 20th century was a rich and influential period of beautiful, innovative design and many classics from that era have influenced and inspired modern designers. "Collectables: 20th-Century Classics" features more than 90 of the most desirable and iconic pieces from the last century. Beautifully illustrated and organized by category (furniture, household, lighting, glass and ceramics) each entry has: a double-page spread, featuring a short essay on the classic under discussion with an accompanying photograph of that object; top tips on what to look out; a price guide; and, key websites to direct the reader on where best to make a purchase or pick up a bargain. Clear and concise, this book provides all the information you need to make an informed decision when investing in a piece of classic design, whether it be an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair, a Clarice Cliff tea cup or a Poul Henningsen PH lamp. This gorgeous book is a must for anyone interested in style, design or interiors.