$1,550
H 2.17 in W 11.42 in D 14.18 in
Set of 3 Desk Letter Trays by Florence Knoll for Knoll, 1950s, USA
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in GORINCHEM, NL
A beautiful expression of modern refinement, this set of three single-letter trays by Florence
Rosewood, Walnut
$450 / item
H 1.75 in W 15.75 in D 11 in
Mid-Century Modern Walnut & Aluminum Letter Tray Desk Accessory Qualiton
By Florence Knoll
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, mid-century modern walnut & aluminum letter tray, desk accessory. Retains
Aluminum
$650
H 5.5 in W 11 in D 15.25 in
Annemarie Davidson & Blaine Rath Walnut & Enamel Letter Tray, California, c.1970
By Annemarie Davidson, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Annemarie Davidson & Blaine Rath Walnut & Enamel Letter Tray, California, c.1970
Enamel
Unavailable
H 7 in W 14 in D 11.25 in
Florence Knoll Black Birch Plywood Double Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Raleigh, NC
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this double letter tray is made of ebonized birch plywood and
Plywood
Florence Knoll Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Kalamazoo, MI
Knoll. The bentwood letter tray was made by Knoll International, and it still retains its original Knoll
Bentwood
Florence Knoll Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Bent plywood desktop letter tray by Knoll. Retains original label with the Herbert Matter designed
Wood
Knoll Vintage Bentwood Walnut Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Cedar Falls, IA
Knoll label and cork feet pads on bottom. Bent plywood walnut letter tray by Knoll, circa 1960.
Walnut
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray circa 1960
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray circa 1960. This piece retains its
Steel
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, circa 1960. This piece retains its
Walnut
Vintage Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Esperance, NY
This is a very unique premium paper or letter tray that is now available for sale. It comes with
Bentwood
Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll
Located in Oakland, CA
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of walnut plywood and was a staple of
Walnut, Plywood
Modernist Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Modernist double letter tray, circa 1960.
Leather, Wood
Midcentury Modernist Architectural Letter Tray Tiered Walnut Wood
By Florence Knoll
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a stunning mid-century modernist tiered letter file tray walnut wood and
Wood, Walnut
Walnut Plywood Double Pivoting Letter Tray By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Iconic sculptural and functional desk accessory by Florence Knoll executed in walnut plywood. The
Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Florence Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray, circa 1960.
Walnut
Florence Knoll Walnut Letter Tray
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Cambridge, US
USA, ca. 1950s. A scarce and streamlined 2-part letter tray originally designed by Florence Knoll
Aluminum
Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Letter tray designed by Florence Knoll for her company, Knoll. Designed in 1948. Formed bent ply
Walnut
Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Letter tray designed by Florence Knoll for her company, Knoll. Designed in 1948. Formed bent ply
Walnut
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
Early Florence Knoll molded teak plywood letter tray. Excellent condition with 1950s label intact.
Florence Knoll Two Tier Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in New York, NY
This Letter/Paper tray was designed by Florence Knoll in 1948. It is composed of ebonized molded
Plywood
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, 1960s. This piece retains its original
Walnut
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, 1960s. This piece retains its original
Walnut
Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Florence Knoll molded plywood architectural letter tray, circa 1960. This piece retains its
Steel
Sold
H 2 in W 11.25 in D 14.25 in
Florence Knoll Walnut Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory IBM
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Oakland, CA
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of walnut molded plywood and was a
Walnut, Plywood
Sold
H 7.09 in W 11.42 in D 14.97 in
Florence Knoll Architectural Molded Walnut Plywood Desk Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Two-tier molded walnut architectural plywood letter tray by Florence Knoll. An iconic, beautiful
Walnut, Plywood
Walnut Plywood Double Pivoting Letter Tray by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Iconic sculptural and functional desk accessory by Florence Knoll executed in walnut plywood. The
Walnut
Sold
H 7.09 in W 11.42 in D 14.97 in
Pair of Early 1950s Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Architectural Letter Tray's
By Florence Knoll
Located in Utrecht, NL
Pair of early 1950s teak plywood molded letter desk tray's by Florence Knoll. Each individual tray
Teak, Plywood
Midcentury Modernist Walnut Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredible mid-century letter tray in walnut. Great lines and construction. Has a University of
Walnut
Sold
H 6.63 in W 10.25 in D 15.25 in
Mid-Century Modern Knoll Chrome Desk Organizer Letter Paper Mail Tray Stand
By Smokador, Knoll
Located in Wayne, NJ
Sleek Smokador Mid-Century Modern Modernist Double Chrome Desk Letter Paper Tray Stand distributed
Chrome
American Mid-Century Modernist Walnut Letter Desk Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredible midcentury letter tray in solid walnut. Great lines and construction rounded corners
Walnut
Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray, circa 1960.
Walnut
Jens Risom Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Jens Risom walnut letter / paper tray. circa 1960.
Walnut
Chrome Dual Level Letter Tray by Hugh Acton, 1960s
By Hugh Acton, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mid Century Chrome Dual Level Letter Tray By Hugh Acton, 1960s.
Steel, Chrome
Mid Century Two Tiered Letter Tray, circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mid century two tiered letter tray, circa 1960.
Wood
Mid Century Two Tiered Letter Tray, Circa 1960
By Jens Risom, Florence Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mid century two tiered letter tray, Circa 1960.
Wood
Peter Pepper Oak & Chrome Letter Tray, circa 1970
By Knoll, Peter Pepper Products
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Peter Pepper Oak & Chrome letter tray / holder, circa 1970.
Chrome
Modernist Oak & Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1980
By Peter Pepper Products, Stow Davis, Knoll
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Modernist Oak & Walnut Letter Tray, circa 1980.
Brass
Early Knoll Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Double letter tray by Knoll in Primavera wood, quite unusual as most where either walnut or black
Aluminum
Knoll Products Vintage In & Out Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage Knoll Products In & Out two-tiered letter tray. Bent plywood in original ebonized finish
Florence Knoll Dual Letter Tray
Located in New York, NY
Original Florence Knoll molded letter trays Ca. 1950s with original early Knoll label.Single molded
Stainless Steel
Sold
H 7.5 in W 14.75 in D 10.25 in
1960s Molded Teak Plywood Letter Trays by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood
By Martin Åberg
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Influenced by the Florence Knoll letter trays, designer Martin Aberg created these similar trays
Teak
Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Berlin, DE
very rare Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray edited by Knoll International Lit : Steven & Linda
Brass
Florence Knoll Double Letter Tray
By Florence Knoll
Located in Hudson, NY
Molded teak plywood pivoting double letter tray, stainless steel pin separates the two trays. Felt
Mid-20th Century Florence Knoll Molded Plywood Pivoting Letter Tray
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Indianapolis, IN
A molded plywood pivoting letter tray designed by American designer Florence Knoll (1917-2019) for
Metal
Molded Walnut Plywood Two-Tier Letter Tray by Florence Knoll
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An architectural, two-tier, molded walnut plywood letter tray by Florence Knoll. An outstanding
Walnut, Plywood
Florence Knoll Black Birch Plywood Letter Tray, Office Desk Accessory
By Florence Knoll, Knoll
Located in Raleigh, NC
Designed by Florence Knoll in 1948, this letter tray is made of ebonized birch plywood and was a
Plywood
Smokador Single Tier Chrome Letter Tray
By Knoll
Located in Alhambra, CA
Chrome and black single letter tray. Perfect for the chrome-plated executive! Dimensions: 15" D
Metal
Sold
H 4.25 in W 16.5 in D 11.13 in
Pair of Knoll Stitched Leather Letter Trays by Raul de Armas & Carolyn Lu
By Knoll
Located in Kensington, MD
Pair of Knoll stitched leather letter trays designed by Raul de Armas and Carolyn Lu for the Knoll
Solid Walnut Dovetail Record Crate
By Blake Tovin, Matt Richmond
Located in Nyack, NY
As avid record collectors we all have albums we want close at hand. Whether storing new finds or favorite titles that are in heavy rotation, our dovetail record crate is the perfect ...
Brass
$22,000
H 100.4 in W 231.5 in D 19.3 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller CSS Modular Wall Unit in Walnut & Aluminum
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Waalwijk, NL
George Nelson for Herman Miller, modular wall unit model 'CSS', walnut, aluminium, glass, United States, 1959 Herman Miller introduced George Nelson’s Comprehensive Storage System (...
Aluminum
Tiled Mirror
By Project 213A
Located in Macieira de Sarnes, PT
TILED MIRROR, designed in 2025. This mirror is crafted with hand-built tiles that are available in customer's own choice of glaze. Crafted by skilled artisans in Northern Portugal....
Ceramic, Mirror, Walnut
$500 / item
H 18.7 in W 13.2 in D 3 in
Manly P Hall, the Secret Teachings of All Ages, First Edition Book & 4 Prints
By TASCHEN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The classic encyclopedia of the arcane in an expanded edition. Renowned philosopher and lecturer Manly P. Hall’s masterful encyclopedia of ancient symbols, hidden rituals, and arcan...
Foil
$2,838 / item
H 24 in W 24 in D 24 in
Modern Fabric Pendant Light by Studio Mirei, Nebula 60, from Costantini
Located in New York, NY
The Nebula collection is drawn out of the interstellar clouds of dust and gas in space - regions where stars begin to form. Made of a woven natural fiber from the banana tree, which ...
Natural Fiber
Antique Meiji Era Japanese Cloisonné Enamel Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
A rare elegant Japanese vase cast of metal, possibly brass, featuring a baluster shaped body and a wide short neck. The surface is decorated with a delicate image of a thistle flowe...
Metal
Art Deco Bronze Vase by GAB Guldsmedsaktiebolaget, Sweden, 1930s.
By Sune Bäckström, GAB Guldsmedsaktiebolaget, Just Andersen
Located in Malmö, SE
A beautiful bronze vase with amazing patina. Made by GAB Guldsmedsaktiebolaget, Sweden, 1930s. Good condition, some light scratches, scuffs and wear to the patination. Stamped ...
Bronze
Art Deco Collection of 10 Sculpture Decanters Sweden 1920s
Located in Hillringsberg, SE
We have assembled an collection of 10 Art Deco decorative and hand made decanters made in Sweden during the early 1900s to 1930s . They used to have functionality as well as looking ...
Blown Glass
90° Minuto Foosball Table by Teckell in Walnut
By Teckell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A subtle and elegant walnut structure highlights and supports this modern and essential foosball table, inviting the challenge of enjoying the game until its very last minute (90° Mi...
Crystal
Conlinoceras Tarrantense Ammonite Fossil, 90-100M Years Old, USA
Located in Warrenton, OR
Conlinoceras Tarrantense Ammonite Fossil, 90-100M Years Old, USA. The Conlinoceras Tarrantense Ammonite is considered rare and is highly sought after as a collector's item. This on...
Shell, Organic Material
$52,000
H 121.66 in W 149.81 in D 14.18 in
Mogens Koch for Rud Radmussen Substantial Modular Library in Pine
By Mogens Koch, Rud Rasmussen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mogens Koch for Rud Rasmussen, modular bookcase or library, pine, Denmark, design 1928 Intriguing and substantial modular library by Danish designer Mogens Koch. This piece is cons...
Pine
Unavailable|$60 / item
H 11.38 in W 9.88 in D 1.35 in
"Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World" Book
Located in New York, NY
Explore the stars and planets and beyond through art over the ages – an international panel of experts take you on a journey through man's record of the universe – from ancient cave ...
Paper
$1,580Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 11 in W 10.5 in D 3.75 in
Extra Large Jurassic Ammonite Fossil with Leafy Suture Patterns
Located in Warrenton, OR
Extra Large Jurassic Ammonite Fossil with Leafy Suture Patterns. Comes with a second, tiny (1.25 x 1 x .5) ammonite, further demonstrating the size of this one. This ammonite fossil...
Shell, Organic Material
$4,750 / set
H 7.25 in W 5 in D 1 in
A. A. Milne. The Four Winnie The Pooh Books - ALL IN FINE BINDINGS
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: MILNE, A. A. TITLE: When We Were Very Young - Winnie The Pooh - House At Pooh Corner - Now We Are Six. PUBLISHER: London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1960-1. DESCRIPTION: 4 vols....
Leather
The Spanish Mediterranean Islands Cookbook
Located in New York, NY
Explore the diverse cuisine of Spain’s Balearic Islands – Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera – through 155 authentic home cooking recipes. Located off the Spanish Mediterranea...
Paper
$16,700
H 31.11 in W 102.37 in D 31.5 in
Adrian Pearsall Platform Sofa in Walnut and Pastel Pink Upholstery
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Adrian Pearsall, 'Platform' sofa with two drawers, fabric, walnut, United States, 1960s Adrian Pearsall is known for his rather unique sofa designs. The present model is no exceptio...
Fabric, Walnut
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.
Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.
Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.
As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.
Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).
Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.
The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.
Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
The Finnish talent created nature-inspired pieces, from furniture to jewelry, with phenomenal staying power.