Mid-Century Lucite and Chrome Cantilever Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman
View Similar Items
Mid-Century Lucite and Chrome Cantilever Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman
About the Item
- Creator:Robert Sonneman (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)Depth: 7 in (17.78 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: 00003220-ATL1stDibs: LU259237947673
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.
- Sleek Lucite & Chrome Desk Lamp Designed by Peter Hamburger for Kovacs LightingBy Peter HamburgerLocated in West Palm Beach, FLPeter Hamburger Designed Sleek Lucite & Chrome Desk Lamp USA, Circa 1970s Elevate your workspace with this striking Peter Hamburger designed sleek Lucite and Chrome Desk Lamp, a ti...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Italian Mid Century Brass & Wood 'Atomic' LampLocated in West Palm Beach, FLItalian mid century brass & wood 'Atomic' lamp Italy, 1950s A unique mid-century lamp, the lamp with a center brass sculpture (Six inch high x 7-inch diameter of a 'Atom Vector' fit...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
$1,160 Sale Price20% Off - Mid-Century Modern Brass Surrealist "Seven Serpent Motif" Table LampLocated in West Palm Beach, FLMid-Century Modern brass surrealist "Seven Serpent Motif" table lamp, shade for display purposes only 18 inches high is to the top of the socket.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
$956 Sale Price50% Off - Pair of Post Modern Lucite Twin Column LampsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLPair of Post Modern Lucite Twin Column Lamps USA, Circa 1980s Each one with two angled beveled columns raised on a rectangular base. New wiring, Ready for shades of your choic...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
$960 Sale Price / set20% Off - Italian Mid-Century Mercury Glazed & Terracotta Shell Motif LampLocated in West Palm Beach, FLItalian Mid-Century Mercury glazed & terracotta shell motif lamp Italy, circa 1970s A unique model, with mirror like, 'mercury' glazed upper section, supported on column of cont...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsTerracotta
$636 Sale Price20% Off - Barovier & Toso Pulegoso Orange Murano Glass & Lucite Stacked Orb Column LampBy Barovier&TosoLocated in West Palm Beach, FLBarovier & Toso Pulegoso Orange Murano Glass & Lucite Stacked Orb Column Lamp Italy, 20th century An exquisite Barovier & Toso Pulegoso Orange Murano Glass & Lucite Stacked Orb Co...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMurano Glass, Lucite
- Mid-Century Modern Lucite with Chrome Eyeball Desk Table Lamp Robert SonnemanBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Port Jervis, NYSimple and elegant table desk lamp fully adjustable. Lamp pivots on a Lucite 7 x 7 base, tightens with the use of a chrome thumbscrew. Chrome eyeball shade does the same, totally adj...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Mid-Century Robert Sonneman Style Cube Chrome Desk LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Esperance, NYVery nice simple cube chrome desk lamp.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Mid-Century Robert Sonneman Three-Light Chrome Table LampBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Sacramento, CAMid-Century Modern chrome table lamp by Robert Sonneman with three lights and original shade. In excellent condition, with wear typical for age and use. Lamp measures 10" in diame...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Chrome Cube Table Lamp by Robert SonnemanBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Denton, TXAdjustable stem for height and swivel cube for direction makes this lamp perfect for a desk or bookshelf, on the base you can see the faux wood laminate.Category
20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Arched Lucite Lamp By Robert Sonneman, 1970sBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Philadelphia, PAAdd a dash of whimsy to your tabletop with this lamp that knows how to have fun. Its curvy silhouette and glossy chrome details create a lighthearted vibe, while the Lucite body adds...Category
Vintage 1970s Unknown Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Sonneman Table Lamp Chrome & Lucite Mid Century Modern Space AgeBy Robert SonnemanLocated in Lake Worth, FL1960s-70s Mid Century Modern curved lucite and chrome ball table lamp. Adjustable angle chrome ball. Good vintage condition, chrome and lucite look good but so show age. Original wir...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome