Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
When it came to creating his visually pleasing armchairs, lounge chairs and office chairs, designer Geoffrey Harcourt stuck to his design dictum: “First the person, then the chair.” The result? Mid-century modern furniture that was not only ergonomic and comfortable but artistic in form.
Born in 1935 in London, Harcourt’s artistic leanings began at an early age. In his youth, he attended the High Wycombe Technical School, followed by the High Wycombe School of Art, where he obtained a national diploma in design and a place to study at the Royal College of Art. After graduating in 1960, Harcourt left the United Kingdom. for Chicago, where he worked in industrial design until 1961. Then, he went to Copenhagen and worked with designer Jacob Jensen.
In 1962, Harcourt returned to the U.K. and began designing his first series of open-armed chairs for the Dutch furniture manufacturing company Artifort. His Space Age 042 Series lounge chair, designed in 1963, was an immediate success and launched Artifort into the international furniture market — like Olivier Mourgue’s low-slung Djinn chair, Harcourt’s seat was also prominently featured in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Harcourt designed several other notable pieces for Artifort. These included his “500 Series” lounge chairs in 1967, the F140 swivel chair in 1970, and the undulating “Cleopatra” chaise longue also in 1970.
In addition to Artifort, Harcourt designed for several other furniture companies such as Dynamite Nobel, Mines and West, Trau of Turin, Hands of Wycombe and Steelcase Strafor. In his 70s, Harcourt retired from furniture design to focus on painting.
Harcourt’s furniture pieces have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Design Council in London and Glasgow, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. In 1978, he was awarded the title of Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Geoffrey Harcourt lounge chairs and other seating.
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Walnut
1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Plywood
Late 20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Teak
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ceramic, Wood
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Chrome
1960s Central American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Aluminum
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Crystal
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Textile
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wenge
1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Geoffrey Harcourt Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
