Parzinger Originals Seating
When in the 1930s Tommi Parzinger won a trip to the United States through a poster design competition for a German steamship company, it led to him to become one of the country’s most influential mid-century modern furniture designers with his company, Parzinger Originals.
Born in 1903 in Munich, Germany, into an artistic family, Parzinger studied ceramics, painting and design at the Kunstgewerbeschule. In 1932, he entered and won a poster design contest for the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship company. The grand prize was a voyage to the United States. By the time Parzinger returned to Germany, unrest leading to World War II was emerging, and he was pressured to join the Nazi party. Parzinger fled back to the United States and settled in New York City, where he pursued a career in interior design.
His first job in the country was with Manhattan trendsetter Rena Rosenthal, who employed him to design household silverware for her famed Madison Avenue store. Later, he became the lead designer for the Charak Furniture Company. In the 1940s, with the help of business and life partner Donald Cameron, Parzinger opened his showroom, Parzinger Originals, on East 57th Street in Manhattan.
Throughout his career, Parzinger produced up to 30 pieces a year for his namesake company. They included refined, elegant and meticulously designed end tables, side tables, consoles, floor lamps, table lamps, seating and mirrors. His signature creations were commodes and credenzas featuring beautifully ornamented hardware and lacquer finishes. His clients included Marilyn Monroe, Billy Baldwin and some of New York’s wealthiest families, like the DuPonts and Rockefellers.
Parzinger also collaborated with other furniture companies, including Salterini, Hofstatter, Lightolier, Reed & Barton and Dorlyn. In the last 15 years of his life, he shifted his focus from furniture to Expressionist painting.
When Parzinger died in 1981, Parzinger Originals was left to Donald Cameron, who fought to protect Parzinger’s design legacy from copycats and reproductions. Nevertheless, Parzinger Originals soon closed.
In recent years, Parzinger Originals furniture has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among interior designers and collectors of mid-century modern and modern furniture. Pieces from Parzinger Originals are in the collections of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of Parzinger Originals case pieces and storage cabinets, tables, lighting and more.
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Upholstery, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Textile
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Fabric, Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Upholstery, Oak
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Steel
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Metal
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Velvet, Walnut
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Fabric, Walnut
1950s Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Parzinger Originals Seating
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Alpaca, Beech
1950s North American Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Cotton, Bamboo, Cane, Polyester
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century South American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Leather
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Ultrasuede, Wood, Lacquer
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Textile
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Parzinger Originals Seating
Fabric, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Velvet
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Textile
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Parzinger Originals Seating
Textile
