Post-Modern Teak and Frosted Glass Double Letter Tray
Located in San Diego, CA
A really cool and high quality set of post-modern teak and frosted glass double letter trays, circa 1990s.
Glass, Teak
Kalmar Mid-Century Teak Desk Organizer / Letter Tray 1970s
Located in San Diego, CA
A beautifully crafted mid-century modern desk organizer by Kalmar, executed in richly grained Danish teak. This sculptural and highly functional piece embodies the refined simplicity...
Teak
Danish Modern Solid Teak Double Letter Desk Tray
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional Danish modern teak double letter desk tray circa the 1980s. The trays are made of dovetailed solid teak.
Teak
Danish Modern Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer / letter tray. The piece is in excellent condition and measures 23.5" wide, 9." deep and 6.5" high.
Teak
Sold
H 2.5 in W 10.75 in D 15.25 in L 2.5 in
Mid Century Rounded Corner Teak Letter Tray by Jeffrey Benjamin USA 1970s
By Jeffrey Benjamin
Located in San Diego, CA
Teak letter tray by Jeffrey Benjamin, Los Angeles.
Teak
Sold
H 6.3 in W 9.85 in D 15.75 in
Mid-Century Modern Teak Letter Tray, by Martin Aberg for Servex, 1960s
By Martin Åberg
Located in Odense, DK
Rare triple letter tray by Martin Aberg for Servex of Sweden, circa 1960.
Teak
Danish Modern Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer / letter tray. The piece is in excellent condition and measures 24" wide, 9.5" deep and 7" high.
Teak
1960s Modern Teak Wood Office Desk Letter File Tray
By Peter Pepper Products
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Modern Teak Wood Office Desk Letter File Tray 16.25 long x 10.75 w x 1.88 h Preowned unrestored vintage See all images please.
Teak
Vintage Solid Teak Danish Modern Letter Tray Desk Organizer
By Nordisk Andels-Eksport
Located in San Jose, CA
Mid-Century Modern letter organizing tray in teak exported by Nordisk Andels-Eksport.
Teak
Danish Modern Desk Organizer or Letter Tray in Teak
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray. The piece is in good vintage condition and measures 24" wide, 9.25" deep and 7" high. #1466.
Teak
Sold
H 6.25 in W 23.38 in D 9 in
1960s Teak Desk Organizer Letter Tray Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik Denmark
By Georg Petersens
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Modern Teak Desk Organizer Letter Tray Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik Denmark Exquisite craft in solid teak wood.
Teak
MIdcentury Teak Desk Organizer or Letter Tray by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Danish modern desktop organizer, letter tray, book stand in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen.
Teak
Midcentury Teak Desk Organizer or Letter Tray by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Danish modern desktop organizer, letter tray, book stand in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen.
Teak
Danish Modern Desk Organizer / 6-Drawer Letter Tray in Teak
By Nordisk Andels-Eksport
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer / 6-drawer letter tray by Nordisk Andels-Eksport, circa 1970s.
Teak
Danish Modern Teak Double Letter Tray by Trip Trap of Denmark
By Trip Trap
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional Danish modern teak double letter tray by Trip Trap of Denmark, circa 1970s.
Teak
Extra Large Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional extra large Danish modern teak desk organizer / letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s.
Teak
Danish Modern Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer / letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s.
Teak
Modern Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak and Lucite
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional modern desk organizer / letter tray in oak, black sheet metal and Lucite, circa 1970s. The piece is in good vintage condition and measures: 24.5" wide, 11" deep and 8...
Sheet Metal
Extra Large Desk Organizer or Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional extra large Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s.
Teak
Extra Large Desk Organizer or Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional extra large Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.5 in W 23.5 in D 9 in
Danish Modern Desk Organizer / Letter Tray in Teak by Nordisk Andels-Eksport
By Nordisk Andels-Eksport
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer / letter tray by Nordisk Andels-Eksport, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.25 in W 23.5 in D 8.5 in
Danish Modern Desk Organizer Letter Tray in Teak by Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik
By Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray by Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 7 in W 47.75 in D 8.75 in
Extra Large Desk Organizer or Letter Tray in Teak by Pedersen & Hansen
By Pedersen & Hansen
Located in San Diego, CA
Very functional extra large Danish modern teak desk organizer or letter tray by Pedersen & Hansen, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 4.75 in W 10.25 in D 12.75 in
Teak & Metal Double Letter Desk Tray by Peter Pepper Products of California
By Peter Pepper Products
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional double letter tray by Peter Pepper Products Company of California, circa the 1970s.
Metal
Sold
H 6.25 in W 23.5 in D 9.25 in
Vintage Solid Teak Danish Modern Letter Tray Desk Organizer Nordisk Andels 1960'
By Nordisk Andels-Eksport
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A classic Danish modern letter organizing tray in teak exported by Nordisk Andels-Eksport.
Teak
Sold
H 1.75 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Letter Desk Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional letter desk tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.25 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Triple Letter Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional triple letter tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1960s.
Teak
Sold
H 5.5 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Double Letter Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional double letter tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 5.5 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Double Letter Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional double letter tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.25 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Triple Letter Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional triple letter tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1960s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.5 in W 10.25 in D 14.75 in
Molded Teak Plywood Double Letter Tray in the Style of Martin Aberg / Rainbow
By House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc., Martin Åberg
Located in San Diego, CA
Very nice and functional double letter tray in the style of Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1970s.
Teak
Sold
H 6.25 in W 9.75 in D 15.5 in
Molded Teak Plywood Triple Letter Tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow of Sweden
By Martin Åberg, House of Rainbow Wood Products Inc.
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool and functional triple letter tray by Martin Aberg for Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden, circa 1960s.
Teak
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.
Vintage Teak Double Paper Tray, circa 1970
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Danish Modern Teak Double Letter Desk Tray circa 1970 "new felt squares added to the bottom" "two small 'knicks' un the underside" "nice joint details at corners" "time to get your ...
Teak
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.
Teak, Plywood
Vintage Danish Teak Desktop Storage Box, Organizer, 1970s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Danish modern functional accessory teak desk organizer or letter tray. There are three letter trays in the holder .The piece has a very light colored finish and is in good vintage co...
Teak
Jens Quistgaard Flip-top Teak Desk
By Løvig Design, Jens Quistgaard
Located in New York, NY
Classic flip top danish teak desk by Jens Quistgaard. Please note that there is only one teak letter tray.
Teak
Sold
H 2.25 in W 11.25 in D 13.5 in
Danish Modern Paper Tray and Letter Organizer in Teak, Maple, & Walnut, c. 1970
By Dansk, William Sklaroff
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mid-Century Modern paper and letter tray with streamline design, circa 1970. Comprised of handcrafted teak, maple, and walnut woods, creating stunning stripes with variegated wood to...
Maple, Teak, Walnut
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 for the Rainbow Wood Products Company of Sweden. The trays will swivel, or stack stra...
Teak
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.
Mid-Century Modern Georg Petersens Danish Mobelfabrik Desk Organizer
By Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik
Located in Toledo, OH
Mid-century teak Georg Petersens Mobelfabrik desk organizer. Circa 1960's. Danish teak desktop organizer with multiple dividers and storage cubbies. Made in Denmark. Great condition....
Teak
$650
H 5.5 in W 11 in D 15.25 in
Annemarie Davidson & Blaine Rath Walnut & Enamel Letter Tray, California, c.1970
By Florence Knoll, Annemarie Davidson
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Annemarie Davidson & Blaine Rath Walnut & Enamel Letter Tray, California, c.1970
Enamel
Mid Century Globe Wernicke Wood Double Letter Tray
By Globe Wernicke, Ralph Lauren
Located in San Diego, CA
A beautifully crafted vintage two-tier letter tray executed in warm, honey-toned oak with striking exposed dovetail joinery. The sculpted, wave-cut fronts lend a soft organic profile...
Brass
Desktop Organizer in Teak, Made in Denmark, 1950s
Located in Lejre, DK
Desktop organizer in solid teak. Great quality with fine details. Made in Denmark in the 1950s.
Teak
Scandinavian Modern Teak and Glass Top Coffee Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This vintage modern teak coffee table features a stylish two-tier design, a pair of drawers for extra storage and thick glass top. Beautiful Scandinavian Modern table for any modern ...
Glass, Teak
Knoll Desk Organizer Oak
By Knoll
Located in Miami, FL
Knoll Desk Organizer, Oak. Not signed but came from a Knoll Desk.
Oak
Bond Burled Wood and Lucite Desk
By Jonathan Adler
Located in New York, NY
Timelessly chic. A Minimalist world of burled wood, acrylic panels, and stainless steel. Pieced, burled mappa wood floats between Lucite legs with stainless steel accents. Fully fini...
Acrylic, Wood
Mid Century Large Bent Plywood Multi Level Letter Paper Desk Tray
By Abel Sorenson, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in San Diego, CA
Multi-level bent ply desk tray. Walnut with brass supporting rods. A well made and designed statement piece for your desk Unsigned. 1950s
Walnut
Mid-Century Modern American Walnut & Brass Modernist Paper Desk Tray
Located in San Diego, CA
Double letter tray in walnut with brass accents , circa 1950s freshly refinished, Very nice accent to any executives desk! California design.
Brass
Lucite and Walnut floating Desk
Located in Ballard, CA
A highly engineered modernist desk made from a walnut (or oak, mahogany, or rosewood veneer) case “floating” on a Lucite base, which is affixed by custom-designed hardware. Custom si...
Metal
Lg. Pedersen & Hansen Teak Desk Top Organizer Denmark
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A rare large sized teak wood desk organizer which sits on a desktop for extra storage and easy access to your papers, mail and small items. There are two horizontal slots with upper ...
Teak
1970s Wood and Metal Peter Pepper Two Tier Letter Tray
By Peter Pepper Products
Located in San Diego, CA
A fantastic paper tray. High quality construction with metal elements. Peter Pepper Products produced many icons of California Designs. USA, 1970s.
Wood
Smoked Glass Oak Base Floating Shelf Side End Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mid-Century Modern smoked glass top oak base side end table.
Oak
$6,300
H 30 in W 71 in D 17.5 in
Narrow modular/ reversible/ Minimalist Desk in Two Tone Wood and Nickel
Located in New York City, NY
French Art Deco slim and streamline unusual desk in two tone wood with side storage compartment, polished nickeled bronze banded surround and matching pole support. The side structur...
Nickel
$15,900
H 28.5 in W 56 in D 24 in
Custom Floating Two Drawer Desk, Lucite, Steel, Glass White Lacquer Wood 1970'S
Located in North Miami, FL
This vintage custom made sensational floating desk with 2 drawers has a recessed glass top that floats on steel pegs around the entire desk; the 2 part lucite sides come together wit...
Steel
$475
H 8 in W 13.75 in D 11 in
Vintage American Walnut 2-Tier Desk Organizer / Paper Tray by Shield Industries
Located in San Diego, CA
A sculptural and highly functional two-tier desk organizer crafted from genuine American walnut by Shield Industries, a California maker known for clean-lined, modernist desk accesso...
Walnut
Small MCM Teak Wall Shelf / Organizer
Located in San Diego, CA
A small MCM teak wall shelf / organizer with three shelves and four brass hooks, circa 1970s. The piece is in very good vintage condition and measures 12.375"W x 3.25"D x 11.75"H; it...
Teak
$2,300 / item
H 20.5 in W 14 in D 67 in
HIFI Vinyl LP Storage Bench / Record Shelf Mid-Century Modern Walnut Pete Deeble
By Pete Deeble
Located in Long Beach, CA
This bench is the ideal solution to having records sitting all over your house and no place to sit. This is an original design, but with a strong influence of Mid Century Danish Mode...
Walnut
$1,995Sale Price|33% Off
H 18 in W 18 in D 18 in
1960s Poul Cadovius Largest Aluminium Lighted Planter RS 50 Pendant , Denmark
By Poul Cadovius, Cado
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
1960s Poul Cadovius large RS 50 brushed and lacquered aluminium lighted planter pendant . Contain one E26/27 ceramic socket rated at 40 watt. Actual set up is a plug in with 15...
Aluminum
$2,340 / item
H 32.6 in W 20 in D 32.6 in
Large Pierre Guariche 'G25' Articulating Wall Lamp for Sammode Studio
By Pierre Guariche, Sammode
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Pierre Guariche 'G25' articulating wall lamp for Sammode Studio. Originally designed by Pierre Guariche, this iconic wall lamp is newly produced in an authorized re-edition b...
Brass, Aluminum, Steel
$480 / set
H 1.57 in W 7.08 in D 7.08 in
Alabaster Smoking Set by Romano Bianchi, Handmade, Green, Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
A rare and visually arresting three-piece smoking set designed by the renowned Italian sculptor Romano Bianchi during the 1960s. This set is a masterclass in Mid-Century Modern Itali...
Alabaster
$150
H 1 in W 4.4 in D 2.5 in L 1 in
Mid-Century Decorative Box in Rosewood and Walnut, Ralph Lauren Style
By Ralph Lauren
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful mixed wood decorative box. This piece created in rosewood, walnut and oak presents itself as a unique gift or personal item that is special for keepsakes or other uses such...
Oak, Rosewood, Walnut
$1,304
H 29.93 in W 45.28 in D 25.6 in
Restored Mid Century Writing Desk, By B. Landsman, Walnut, Oak, Czech, 1950s
By Bohumil Landsman
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Desk dimensions: Height: 76 cm (29.9 in) Width: 115 cm (45.3 in) Width: 65 cm (25.6 in) Legroom: Height: 73.5 cm (28.9 in) Width: 63.5 cm (25 in) This writing desk is an excellent ...
Wood, Oak, Walnut, Lacquer
Teak File Cabinet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Three drawer mid-century style file cabinet with teak grain wood veneer. Metal gliding rails, finished back and wood handles. The drawers measure 9.25"h, 15.75"w, 21"d Please confirm...
Teak
$575
H 17.5 in W 16 in D 13.5 in
Mid Century Scandinavian Modern Magazine Record Album Storage Bin by Bruksbo
By Rolf Hesland, Brucksbo
Located in New York, NY
Mid Century Scandinavian Modern magazine rack, record album caddy, made in Norway designed by Rolf Hesland, for Brucksbo c. 1960's. The teak, and teak veneer case is mounted on it's ...
Teak
Vintage Red Swivel Desk Storage Organizer by Rino Pirovano for Art 900
By Rexite
Located in East Quogue, NY
This vintage red swivel desk organizer, designed by Rino Pirovano for Rexite in the mid-1970s, is a celebrated example of Italian design. Made of ABS plastic, it features four rotati...
Plastic
$1,316Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.34 in W 63 in D 31.5 in
Scandinavian Ergonomic Design Writing Desk and Stool, Stokke, 1980's
By Stokke
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Scandinavian ergonomic design writing desk with pivoting stool, made by Stokke, Norway 1980's. Ergonomical designed writing desk with black inlay and middle reading section w...
Metal
$425
H 2.625 in W 9.5 in D 4 in L 2.625 in
Mid-Century Modern Scandinavian Mixed Woods Valet / Desk Box
Located in San Diego, CA
A finely crafted mid-century modern valet or desktop storage box executed in contrasting mixed hardwoods, likely teak with lighter maple or birch accents. The box features clean Scan...
Wood
$2,155 / item
H 29.14 in W 59.06 in D 29.53 in
USM Haller Desk Designed by Fritz Haller and Paul Scharer, Switzerland
By Usm Haller
Located in Athens, Attiki
USM Haller table designed by Swiss architect Fritz Haller and Paul Schaerer in 1964 A great modern, significant design piece that can be used as a dining table or an executive desk...
Metal, Stainless Steel
$220Sale Price|20% Off
H 0.5 in W 7.5 in D 3.625 in
Midcentury Fused Art Glass "Catch All" in the Style of Higgins Glass
By Higgins Glass
Located in San Diego, CA
A gorgeous midcentury fused art glass "catch all" in the style of Higgins Glass, circa 1970s. The piece measures 7.5"W x 3.625”D x .5” H and is in very good vintage condition. Really...
Art Glass
$371Sale Price|25% Off
H 11.75 in W 11.5 in D 15 in
Victorian Tiger Oak Parquetry Sewing or Desk Top Chest of Drawers
Located in Germantown, MD
A rare, exquisite Victorian Sewing drawers or desktop filing cabinet in oak parquetry and tiger oak. Porcelain drawer knobs. May be used as riser for lamp or any other piece that...
Oak
Georg Petersens Mid Century Teak Desk Organizer Denmark
By Georg Petersens Møbelfabrik
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A teak top of the desk organizer with four letter slots , two storage cubies and an open top shelve . This well designed accessory is the perfect piece for easy access to your papers...
Teak
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.
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