Guzzini Desk Sets
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.
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Guzzini Desk Sets
Lucite
1980s Italian Industrial Vintage Guzzini Desk Sets
Plexiglass
20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Guzzini Desk Sets
Marble
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Guzzini Desk Sets
Plastic
1890s English Edwardian Antique Guzzini Desk Sets
Walnut
20th Century American Guzzini Desk Sets
Plastic, Teak
2010s American Modern Guzzini Desk Sets
Brass
Early 19th Century English George IV Antique Guzzini Desk Sets
Mahogany
1980s Italian Vintage Guzzini Desk Sets
Crystal, Silver
1980s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Guzzini Desk Sets
Ceramic, Leather, Suede
Early 2000s Italian Space Age Guzzini Desk Sets
Plastic
20th Century North American Scandinavian Modern Guzzini Desk Sets
Rosewood
Early 20th Century German Art Deco Guzzini Desk Sets
Marble, Copper
Late 20th Century Egyptian Guzzini Desk Sets
Marble
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Guzzini Desk Sets
Acrylic, Lucite
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Guzzini Desk Sets
Lucite, Acrylic
