1960s Large Robert Sonneman Orbiter Floor Lamp
View Similar Items
1960s Large Robert Sonneman Orbiter Floor Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:Robert Sonneman (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 72 in (182.88 cm)Diameter: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU81011250032
Robert Sonneman
Though Robert Sonneman was quite literally born into the lighting business, it took working for another celebrated lighting maker for him to land upon the kind of boundary-pushing modernism for which the New York–based designer is known today.
At the age of 19, fresh off a stint in the U.S. Navy, Sonneman responded to an ad for a position working in the studio of George Kovacs on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he became the sole employee. “Although my parents were in the lighting business, they came from a traditional perspective, and Kovacs introduced me to modernism,” Sonneman once said. “It was 1961, and I was immediately captured by the movement.”
While working for Kovacs, Sonneman became captivated by the work of the Bauhaus, and he began experimenting with the influential art and design school’s ideas of functional simplicity in lighting. In 1967, he opened his own studio.
Though Sonneman Design Group produced furniture for a brief time, the designer eventually elected to focus on the one category that had always fascinated him; the brand became known for its floor lamps, sconces, pendants and chandeliers that feature unconventional treatments toward shape and balance, often inspired by modern architecture. Sonneman once said of his work: “I saw the lamps that I built as lighting machines that glorified the industrial aesthetic.”
Indeed, in the spirit of Bauhaus functionality — Sonneman has also cited Mies van der Rohe as being an inspiration — the designer’s work takes function-centric forms and motifs and elevates them while prioritizing technology. This spirit of forward thinking continues today, as Sonneman’s brand, renamed SONNEMAN – A Way of Light in 2003, works with LED bulbs to continue to push the boundaries of what functional lighting can achieve aesthetically.
Current-day releases by SONNEMAN – A Way of Light (still overseen by Sonneman himself) feature 95 percent LED lights and include interior and exterior lighting as well as modular suspended lights as an alternative to track lighting. Sonneman’s vintage pieces, however, are still widely collected on the secondary market.
Find vintage Robert Sonneman lighting on 1stDibs.
- Robert Sonneman Orbiter Floor LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in San Mateo, CAAdjustable floor lamp designed by Robert Sonneman. The arc portion rotates 360 degrees. The straight arm adjusts the shade up and down as well as side to side. This makes an excellen...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsIron
- Robert Sonneman White Three-Arm Orbiter Floor Lamp with Marble Base, 1960sBy Robert SonnemanLocated in San Francisco, CAA fantastic 1960s Robert Sonneman “orbiter" three-arm floor lamp with rare white enameled globes and counterweights and white marble base. Original finish on this minimalist mid-cen...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsCarrara Marble, Copper, Metal, Enamel, Chrome
- VINTAGE Robert Sonneman Triennale Atomic Orbiter Floor LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Chicago, ILSpace age Robert Sonneman Triennale Atomic Orbiter floor lamp. A very nice one is great condition. Style of Arredoluce.Category
20th Century American Space Age Floor Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Chrome Floor lamp/table by Robert Sonneman--1960s USABy Robert SonnemanLocated in Miami, FLBeautiful Chrome Floor lamp with glass table. Robert Sonneman USA 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Robert Sonneman Floor LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Palm Springs, CASonneman chrome plated steel floor lamp. Lamp measures 18" wide, 18" deep and 65" high. Base is 10" diameter. We had the shade professionally relined. Shade measures 12" wide, 12" de...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Robert Sonneman Floor LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Atlanta, GASculptural Black and Chrome Floor Lamp, designed by Robert Sonneman, American, circa 1970s. It has been rewired and is ready to use.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
$1,400