John Salterini Furniture
While John B. Salterini designed ornate wrought-iron garden furniture for patios and lawns, he specifically sought to match the forms of indoor furniture and also advocated the use of his furniture indoors “because it brings into your home the freshness and gaiety of a flowery summer garden” (per his print advertisements).
After emigrating from Italy to New York, Salterini worked in journalism at first, editing a newspaper in Syracuse. When he moved to New York City, he worked in glass manufacturing and then entered into the production of wrought-iron furniture as a partner in Salterini & Gallo. When that company shuttered, he launched his own eponymous firm in 1934, eventually offering some of the most exquisite, high-end outdoor furniture of the mid-century period.
Over the course of his career, Salterini designed a wide range of furniture, from tables and chairs to chaise longues, ottomans and benches. And his influences were equally wide as well. His work is often identified as mid-century modern — the Clamshell line, designed for Salterini’s company by like-minded Italian architect and industrial designer Maurizio Tempestini, boasts soft curves and cocoon-like shells that strike a sharp contrast with the solidity of wrought iron and resemble the zany chair designs emerging during the postwar period from designers like Pierre Paulin and Arne Jacobsen.
The furniture from John B. Salterini Company also combined organic and geometric forms, one of the mid-century design movement’s defining features. But Salterini was equally influenced by the Gothic Revival and Art Deco movements, incorporating their signature flourishes like intricate lace-like patterns, delicate vine leaves and protruding scrolls into his French Provincial Group’s glass-topped tables and chairs. One of his most ornate and ostentatious designs is the Peacock double chaise longue, with its elaborate spokes and arching back.
The postwar boom in prosperity and leisure time led to the expansion of the home to include patios, which needed to be furnished with stylish outdoor furniture.
Wrought iron was considered the best material for outdoor use because of its comparative lightness and pliability to other metals. The term “wrought” means made by hand, as opposed to “cast” iron, which was made using molds. Salterini’s high-end handcrafted furniture, with names like Park Avenue Group — promoted for indoor use and photographed as such for the firm’s catalogues — attracted wealthy buyers from across the country. They were drawn to his ability to make a metal like wrought iron look almost ethereal and elegant, and the way he incorporated the popular styles and design principles of the day into his pieces. That Salterini’s garden furniture can be used indoors and look completely natural is a rare feat.
Find vintage John B. Salterini outdoor furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century John Salterini Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
1950s American Organic Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
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Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron, Wire
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Glass
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Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Iron, Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Steel
1940s American Art Deco Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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Iron
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron, Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century European John Salterini Furniture
Metal
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Neoclassical John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
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Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Steel, Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century John Salterini Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Iron
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage John Salterini Furniture
Steel, Iron
Early 20th Century Victorian John Salterini Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century John Salterini Furniture
Wrought Iron
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Wrought Iron
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- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024To tell if wrought iron is Woodard, examine its frame closely. Authentic pieces usually have the Woodard name embossed right onto the metal. Instead of embossing, some pieces display the brand name on a metal tag. For assistance with identifying a piece of wrought iron furniture, seek the help of a certified appraiser or licensed dealer. Explore an assortment of Woodard wrought iron furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023To tell how old a vintage chair is, first try and locate the manufacturer's label, tag or mark. Typically, identifying markings and tags appear under cushions or on the undersides of chairs. You may find that the date of manufacturing appears on the label or tag. If not, check trusted online resources to find out when the manufacturer was in business to make an estimate of the age. When in doubt, enlist the help of a certified appraiser or antiques dealer to help you date a particular chair. Find an assortment of antique, vintage and modern chairs on 1stDibs.