Guzzini Boxes
Guzzini is often mistakenly thought to be the name of a lighting designer active in the 1960s and 1970s. But in fact the label belongs to a lighting manufacturing company that was founded by six Guzzini brothers — Raimondo, Giovanni, Virgilio, Giuseppe, Adolfo and Giannunzio, who were inspired by the 1950 film Harvey starring James Stewart.
Compounding the historical record even further, it seems that the Guzzini company rebranded many times in the 20th century, going by, at various points, Harvey Creazioni, Harvey Guzzini, Guzzini, iGuzzini and Illuminazione Guzzini. Harvey Creazioni was originally founded in 1959 in Recanati (on the east-central coast of Italy) by Raimondo, focusing on the production of copper-plated decorative objects. Four years later, in June 1963, the six brothers joined together and established Harvey Creazioni di Guzzini, expanding production to include pendant lighting, sconces, table lamps and floor lamps.
The brothers employed architect-designer Luigi Massoni — who was introduced to the Guzzini brothers by leading plastic importer Maurizio Adreani — as head of design, branding, public relations and advertising. Famous Harvey Guzzini designs include Massoni and Luciano Buttura's Mushroom table lamp (1965) as well as the in-house designed Arc floor lamp (1968), Faro table lamp (1970) and Toledo table lamp (1973). Studio 6G, an interning design team, developed the collectible Clan table lamp (1968); and designers Ermanno Lampa and Sergio Brazzoli were responsible for the Nastro series (1970), Orione pendant (1970), Sirio table lamp (1970), Alba floor lamp (1973), Albanella table lamp (1973) and Alf series (1976). Around 1976, Harvey Guzzini ceased the production of copper-plated items to concentrate on lighting made almost exclusively from methacrylate plastic (acrylic). The company also dabbled in furniture production, collaborating with Yugoslavian furniture producer Meblo, located in Nova Gorica in present-day Slovenia.
In 1967–68, the company exhibited at Domus: Formes Italiennes in the Galeries Lafayette in Paris under the name Design House (DH), where the company featured Gio Ponti’s Media lamp. A retail outlet was opened in central Milan under the name Harvey Guzzini-DH in 1969, situated literally and figuratively among the best known Italian design houses. In 1974, the company rebranded once more as iGuzzini, adding Illuminazione in 1981, which still exists today with headquarters in Recanati, Italy.
Find a collection of vintage Guzzini furniture today on 1stDibs.
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Lucite
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Metal
20th Century Egyptian Hollywood Regency Guzzini Boxes
Malachite
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Guzzini Boxes
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Late 20th Century Unknown Hollywood Regency Guzzini Boxes
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Guzzini Boxes
Lucite
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
1970s Hollywood Regency Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Brass
1970s Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Rattan, Lucite
Mid-20th Century European Hollywood Regency Guzzini Boxes
Lucite
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Metal, Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Metal, Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Guzzini Boxes
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Hollywood Regency Guzzini Boxes
Tin
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Guzzini Boxes
Plexiglass
