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Industrial & Machine Age Furniture, Fixtures and Furnishings

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phartman

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There are a couple places here on Garage Journal where participants can look for discussions of vintage furniture and furnishings for their buildings. I would like to bring them all under one thread. If you are a fan of Shaw-Walker, General Fireproofing, Art Metal, All-Steel or the like, please feel free to post reference materials, and sites or examples of pieces you own yourself.

Here are a couple other threads for the same that you might find of interest:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39224&page=47

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229567

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123666

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206300

A couple of other reference sites you might enjoy browsing:

http://www.retro.net/

http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/

http://www.getbackinc.com/

http://www.reclaimeddesignworks.com/

http://www.caravatis.com/

http://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/categories/restored-antiques

http://www.stylelabo-deco.com/
 
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phartman

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Why have these chairs gotten so difficult to find at all? And when they do turn up, the prices take your breath away? Toledo Uhl Steel chair. So simple, so utilitarian, so beautiful. I'll keep looking.

 
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phartman

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These have gotten pricey, too. They are around by several different makers, but prices are on the up, much more so than the oak and glass counterparts. Metal barrister bookcase:

 
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55chevy

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Thank you for the links. We have a house and garage full of this stuff that we have obtained over the last 40 years. At these prices , we are rich.
 
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phartman

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55chevy said:
Thank you for the links. We have a house and garage full of this stuff that we have obtained over the last 40 years. At these prices , we are rich.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I can't believe how much prices have gone up in the past 3 years. There are definitely more kindred spirits out looking at the flea markets and Goodwill stores than before. And full retail asking prices are everywhere.

But it's still not too late: my neighbor just gave me for free 5 overhead factory lights that were otherwise headed to the dump. There are still some bargains to be had.
 
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phartman

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A fine addition to the lighting in any garage- a variation on the Flying Saucer lamp. I found the one I own at a local antique mall, and they show up on Ebay regularly. Great for desk lighting or on a shelf. The light is on a swing arm.



If you don't want to spend the couple hundred bucks the swing arm lamp will cost, this simpler version is readily found for under $100. Very nice, and in all types of finishes. Nothing wrong with it either.

 
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Mavawreck

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phartman said:
When only the very best will do...the iconic Kem Weber lounge chair. My heart be still....

Click to expand...

Sweet chair! We have two lounge chairs that are similar in stature, nuagahyde upholstery with maple legs. How does the Danish furniture movement fit into all of this, more of a mid century modern offspring?
 
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phartman

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Mavawreck said:
How does the Danish furniture movement fit into all of this, more of a mid century modern offspring?
Click to expand...

You've asked a great question that has lots of meat on the bones. I will try to get to it later today, especially how the Scandinavians and other Europeans influenced modern design. But here is the main point that needs to be made: the Europeans were sooner to embrace Modernism than the Americans, not just in furniture design but also in painting and music, for instance. We learned from them, and an important step in that evolution was the New York City Armory Show in 1913. Here is some background on that:


For some background specifically on Danish and Swedish design, have a look at this article:


http://www.smashingmagazine.com/201...ian-design-combining-function-and-aesthetics/

From the article:

"Scandinavia here means the countries of Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Design from there is described by many as being fairly minimalist, with clean simple lines. Highly functional, the style is effective without needing heavy elements; only what is needed is used. Survival in the north required products to be functional, and this was the basis of all design from early on.

The subtle decorative qualities stemming from the early-20th century art movements and the simple lines deriving from the inter-war art movements gave this style its elegance. The concept of “beautiful things that make your life better” was highly regarded. Scandinavian design is often referred to as democratic design, because of its aim to appeal to the masses through products that are accessible and affordable."

 
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OctoMan

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Newport News, VA
I like all the industrial modern stuff but refuse to pay those crazy prices. But you could build some of it easily enough.
 
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Mavawreck

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phartman said:
You've asked a great question that has lots of meat on the bones. I will try to get to it later today, especially how the Scandinavians and other Europeans influenced modern design. But here is the main point that needs to be made: the Europeans were sooner to embrace Modernism than the Americans, not just in furniture design but also in painting and music, for instance. We learned from them, and an important step in that evolution was the New York City Armory Show in 1913. Here is some background on that:


For some background specifically on Danish and Swedish design, have a look at this article:


http://www.smashingmagazine.com/201...ian-design-combining-function-and-aesthetics/

From the article:

"Scandinavia here means the countries of Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Design from there is described by many as being fairly minimalist, with clean simple lines. Highly functional, the style is effective without needing heavy elements; only what is needed is used. Survival in the north required products to be functional, and this was the basis of all design from early on.

The subtle decorative qualities stemming from the early-20th century art movements and the simple lines deriving from the inter-war art movements gave this style its elegance. The concept of “beautiful things that make your life better” was highly regarded. Scandinavian design is often referred to as democratic design, because of its aim to appeal to the masses through products that are accessible and affordable."

Click to expand...

Awesome! Did not realize that it had started so early. I'll try to get some pics of the chair this weekend, just finished re-gluing the legs this evening. Seat itself is built like a 1950s car seat.
 
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phartman

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phartman said:
You've asked a great question that has lots of meat on the bones. I will try to get to it later today, especially how the Scandinavians and other Europeans influenced modern design.
Click to expand...

Let me try and connect some dots between the broader modern art movement in the early 20th century and what ultimately shows up later in garage, office, industrial and interior design. And we'll use the Dutch tradition because it is easier to initially follow. But be assured, the same connections can be made other places.

At the turn of the 20th century, Paris was the epicenter of modern design, modern music, modern writing, dance, and other forms of the arts. The list of artists and practioners who made their pilgrimage to the City of Lights is long. They apprenticed in Paris and went home to hone their skills having had their eyes and minds opened. And as a result the Modernist sensibilities spread throughout the West.

In the Netherlands, consider this painting by Georges Vantongerloo, titled "Composition" 1917-1918.



or "Peinture" by Theo van Doesburg, 1920



These artists had a strong influence on the star of Dutch modernism, Piet Mondrian:



He took their idea to a whole new level: simplicity, primary colors, and black borders that juxtaposed the assymetrical arrangement of those primary tones and balanced them with a grid system of lines:







Where do these same sensibilities start to show up? Furniture, for one. Here a lounge chair:



Note the desk, rug, and side chair that my wife and I own:





Architecture:



Sculpture:



Dutch "Tomado" furniture:







And finally Parisian haute couture (these dresses are St. Laurent 1966), where we'll circle back to where we started and close the loop. One simple but powerful idea expressed many ways by many skilled artisons.



I know, I know, "My kid could have done that..." Well, your kid never thought of it, and if he had, he would have discovered how deceptively simple the idea looks. Take out a piece of paper yourself, and give it a whirl. Simple, but not easy.

But that is the slam against modernism.

Modernism is so, so much more than what you see on the set of Mad Men. It extends in both directions far away from just Mid-Century Modern. The 20th century design movement- and especially that of the Machine Age- is a rich and enlightening study. Any effort you put into it will be rewarded many times over.

If I can guide any of you or point you in the right direction on that path to discovery, please let me know. I am a fan.
 
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phartman

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These bookcases are terrific for shop and garage use, and the sliding glass keeps out the dust and dirt. Not expensive, they are around at antique shops, junk shops, used office furniture stores.

 
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LifeLongWNYer

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Oct 23, 2013
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South of Rochester, NY
Very interesting. I stopped in to day at a Macintosh dealer to see about upgrading my iPod. Bad news, while it works, can't be updated and I need to buy a new one.

BUT the store had a lot of old factory "furniture" that the owner's wife bought from a closing plant. She hits it lightly with a sander and puts a coat of varnish, then sells the stuff as a sideline in the computer store. She had an old Nutting ( brand ) cart there and was asking $ 900.00 for it. She said the "yuppies" but them faster than she can't refinish them. I never would have suspected!



JBP


.
 
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Mavawreck

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Old craftsman cart I picked up awhile back similar to the one pictured.

I have this crazy solid maple dresser that I've been trying to date for years, I think it is from the 1920s. Thought I had pictures of it, but I guess I will have to wait till it gets dragged out of storage in a few weeks.
 
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Mavawreck

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Lousy picture, but I picked up this quarter sawn oak file cabinet a few years ago. I guess a lot of them only have one true 'side' since they were attached together in rows.
 
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phartman

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Falcon67

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Merkel, TX
Was in a local antique shop this last Saturday and saw at least two furniture pieces that carried Art Deco touches. And they were not anywhere as much money as those off the chart prices many places seem to be asking for this stuff. Cheap, actually, and in very good condition.

>Note the 1-drawer metal stand on wheels in the upper left:

With a valve grinder mounted on it
 
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phartman

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More on the old Shaver Howard furniture company that had so many terrific designs in metal, located in North Wilkesboro, NC:

Originally known as Shaver Howard after founders Jacob Shaver and Richard Howard, the manufacturer has grown significantly since the Johnston family acquired it in 1980. Shaver Howard employed about 20 people in a 75,000-square-foot factory. Johnston Casuals has 90 employees and a 130,000-square-foot plant, including a second building added onto the first.

Here are examples of vintage Shaver Howard designs. They always remind me of automotive styling:









And here is the website for the newly transformed company, Johnston Casuals. Their tag line is now "Furniture as Art." Looks very GarageJournal friendly. Beautiful metalwork, really nice:

http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/361803-johnston-casuals-looks-to-steel-further-growth

and here:

http://johnstoncasuals.com/index.php/

Here's the link to their custom stuff. Really skillful stuff. It's encouraging to see a modern furniture maker go to these lengths and be open to doing one-offs:

http://johnstoncasuals.com/index.php/new/custom-possibilities.html



 
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