Walter Von Nessen Furniture
German, 1889-1943
Art Deco industrial designer Walter von Nessen is best known for his glamorous Machine Age lighting designs and for his invention of the swing-arm lamp. Von Nessen was born in Germany, where he studied under Bruno Paul at Berlin’s Kunstgewerbeschule. After World War I, he worked for the architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin. He left in 1919 for Stockholm, where he designed furniture until emigrating with his wife, Margaretta, to the United States in 1923. In 1927, the couple opened Nessen Studios in Manhattan, designing and selling sleek, modern architectural lighting.
Art Deco was both novel and exciting in the late 1920s — as, indeed, was electricity itself — and Nessen Studios was at the forefront of the movement. Electric lighting designers at the time had no direct models to follow. The shapes and silhouettes of gas lamps, lanterns and chandeliers had been influenced by those of the kerosene-, oil- and candle-lit fixtures that preceded them, which in turn were informed by the fuels they used. Electric lighting required designs that accommodated essentials of the new technology, like cords and sockets. Von Nessen and his contemporaries thus had to create fixtures that addressed these challenges and looked modern without appearing overly mechanical.
Along with industrial-design visionaries of the period like Raymond Loewy, Gilbert Rohde and Donald Deskey, von Nessen crafted a style that was emblematic of the Machine Age. He produced lamps and home accessories from spun aluminum, with smooth surfaces that evoked the polished gleam of streamlined automobiles and airplanes. And he experimented with other popular materials of the era, such as Bakelite, chrome and fiberglass. His ingenious design for the now-ubiquitous swing-arm lamp earned him a reputation as an innovator.
Von Nessen’s work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, among other institutions. Designed to complement the luxurious interiors of the 1920s and ‘30s, still look fresh nearly a century later.
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Period: Mid-20th Century
Creator: Walter Von Nessen
Walter Von Nessen Aluminum Swing Arm Floor Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Walter Von Nessen Aluminum Swing Arm Floor Lamp ,, Wonderful example,, Retains original parchment shade (missing some boon-doggle) Minor dent to bottom,,3-way lamp (bulb) capability,...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Walter Von Nessen Floor Lights
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Walter Von Nessen
Manufacturer: Nessen Lighting
Period and Model: Mid-Century Modern
Specs: Brushed Chrome
Condition
These Walter Van Nessen floor lights are...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Early Version Walter Von Nessen swing out floor lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
One of the purest examples I have ever owned..Early and rare version of the now iconic Machine Age Nessen swing arm floor lamp. This lamp retains its (always replaced) glass shade as...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
1940s Vintage Walter Von Nessen Skyscraper Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Boston, MA
Skyscraper style lamp by Walter Von Nessen for Nessen Studio in New York, NY. Tall, sleek, dark and handsome, for a beautiful minimalist design. This large scale vintage lamp feature...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Pair of Ring Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USA
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of nickel and copper art deco machine age bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of bookends feature two circles, one larger in a black satin enameled c...
Category
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Nickel, Enamel, Copper
Chase Three Piece Comet Tea Service Set with Bakelite Accents
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Three-piece spherical tea set by Walter von Nessen for Chase, USA, c.1940s. The set includes an electric tea pot, creamer and sugar bowl with bone colored Bakelite handles. The chrom...
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel, Chrome
Walter Von Nessen Antiqued Brass Swing Arm Library Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Walter Von Nessen by Nessen Studio / library table lamp in antiqued brass finish.
USA, circa 1970.
Features a swing arm and pivoting, perforated, cylindrical shade. Complemented b...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Walter Von Nessen Chase Lazy Boy Smoker's Stand Brass Chrome Original
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Oakland, CA
Original Walter Von Nessen Brass and Laminate Lazy Boy Smoker’s Stand designed for the Chase Brass Company circa 1932. The smoking stand has a spherical retractable inset ashtray with a black laminate swivel top that when open reveals an interior compartment beneath and a chrome ash chamber that extends from the ashtray top directly into the base.
Designed by Von Nessen and manufactured around 1932. The iconic design serves as not only a smoking ashtray...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Pair of Machine Age Art Deco Copper & Brass Bookends by Walter Von Nessen
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in St. Louis, MO
A pair of Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen feature two concentric rings of brass and copper with three sphere accents on each. These bookends are a great example of the Machin...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass, Copper
Walter Von Nessen Chase Lazy Boy Smoker's Stand Brass Chrome Original
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Oakland, CA
Original Walter Von Nessen Brass and Laminate Lazy Boy Smoker’s Stand designed for the Chase Brass Company circa 1932. The smoking stand has a spherical retractable inset ashtray with a black laminate swivel top that when open reveals an interior compartment beneath and a chrome ash chamber that extends from the ashtray top directly into the base.
Designed by Von Nessen and manufactured around 1932. The iconic design serves as not only a smoking ashtray...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass, Chrome
Walter Von Nessen Table Lamp for Nessen Studios
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Walter von Nessen aluminum table lamp for Nessen Studio, c.1960s, USA. The table lamp features a curved aluminum stem and stainless steel base with original linen shade.
Dimensions
...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel, Aluminum
Modernist Leather and Steel Table Lamp by Walter Von Nessen c 1960's
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Chic and sophisticated Modernist School table lamp by Walter Von Nessen, made by Nessen Studios. The cylindrical body is wrapped in black leather, the base is chrome and the top is ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American International Style Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Walter Von Nesson 'Skyscraper' Floor Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen, Jule Bouy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Silvered metal floor lamp, circa 1930. Measure: Base is 10" x 10".
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel
Pair of Copper Candlestick Holders by Walter von Nessen for Chase
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of solid copper candle holders by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of Art Deco candle sticks feature geometric circles a...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Copper
1960's Modern Walter Von Nessen Carrara Marble Table Lamps
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
1960's mid-century modern solid Carrara Marble with brass hardware with original glass shades table lamps designed by Walter Von Nessen, in vintage original condition with minor wear...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Carrara Marble, Brass
Walter Von Nessen, Table Lamps, Chrome Metal, Burlap, USA, 1930s
By Nessen Lighting, Walter Von Nessen
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of chrome-plated metal and burlap fabric lampshades designed and produced by Walter Von Nessen, USA, 1930s.
Overall Dimensions (inches): 20.15" H x 10" W x 11" D
Bulb Specif...
Category
1930s American Machine Age Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Art Deco Stylized Cat Door Stop by Walter Von Neesen for Chase, circa 1935
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous simple yet elegant design by Walter Von Neesen for Chase circa 1935. Brass & copper stylized in the form of a arching cat. Rare find. In excellent vintage condition with min...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass, Copper
Chrome Lamp with Burlap Shade by Nessen Lighting
By Nessen Lighting, Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chrome lamp with burlap shade by Nessen Lighting.
Dimensions listed (14 in. diameter x 22 in. tall) are the overall dimensions of the lamp with the shade.
Category
1960s American International Style Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Iconic Walter Von Nessen Swing Arm Desk Lamp with Original Metal Shade
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Wonderful example of the iconic modernist swing arm desk lamp by Von Nessen. The lamp features a precisely machined articulating base, and the almost never seen original metal shade....
Category
Mid-20th Century American Bauhaus Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel
Vintage Walter von Nessen Torchiere Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage 'trumpet' torchiere lamp in off-white by Walter von Nessen. Manufacturer stamp under base.
Category
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Metal
Brushed Aluminum Art Deco Demilune Wall Sconces by Walter Von Nessen, Pair
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Pair of brushed aluminum Art Deco wall sconces with polished accents designed by Walter Von Nessen. circa 1930s. Classic design.
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Pair of Walter & Greta Von Neesen Stainless Cylindrical Table Lamps, circa 1965
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous pair of stainless cylindrical table lamps by the Nessen lighting Co. In excellent vintage condition with minimal wear, no scratches or dings to the metal. Sold as a pair. Sh...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Walter Von Nessen 3-Way Torchiere
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in South Charleston, WV
Subtle off-white Early Walter Von Nessen lamp 11.25" wide and 64.5" tall. Holds an immense 300 watt incandescent bulb and has 3 power levels for illumination control. Tapered step an...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel
Art Deco Machine Age Chrome and Black Torchiere Uplight Floor Lamp, Ca. 1930's
By Gilbert Rohde, Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Rare Machine Age, Art Deco chrome and black uplight, torchiere, in very good, original, clean and working condition. Circa 1930's design in the style of Rohde, Deskey, Von Nessen etc...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass, Chrome
Pair of Brass Vases by Walter Von Nessen for Chase
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of brass vases by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of solid patinated brass Art Deco vases feature a tulip opening ...
Category
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Walter Von Nessen Table Lamp
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Chicago, IL
Walter Von Nessen swing arm table lamp with linen shade.
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Metal
Two Matching Walter Von Nessen Table Lamps, c. 1938
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Camden, ME
One of the very recognizable American lamps of the pre WW II Art Deco period.
Walter Von Nessen was a trained German industrial designer who arrived in ...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Art Deco Modernistic Table Lamp by Leroy C. Doane for Miller
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Atlanta, GA
A rare table lamp designed by Leroy C. Doane for Miller Lamp Company, USA. Originally desinged in 1928 and with US Patent No. 1,818,120 - Filed July 7, 1928, the lamp later went thro...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Enamel, Steel
Walter Von Nessen Brushed Brass Swing-Arm Desk Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Chicago, IL
Early edition swing arm desk lamp by Walter Von Nessen Lighting. finished in brushed brass with original milk glass diffuser. Sold sans shade. Pair of desk lamps available.
Category
1950s American Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Milk Glass
Walter Von Nessen Art Deco Skyscraper Style Frosted Glass & Black Enamel Uplight
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
This elegant and graphic Art Deco Machine Age uplight was realized by the celebrated designer Walter Von Nessen circa 1935. It Features a circular black enamel base from which stream...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass, Enamel
Tall Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Studios Brass Inlaid Walnut "Tower" Table Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Studio
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Towering Walter Von Nessen designed Nessen Studios Walnut & Brass Table Lamp, 1960s. Featuring an architectural solid hardwood column with vertical brass inlay. Small footprint. Adju...
Category
1960s American Minimalist Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Walter Von Nessen Floor Lamp Early Version
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Studio
Located in New York, NY
Early and rare version of the now iconic Machine Age Nessen swing arm floor lamp. The construction of this example dates the lamp from the...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Machine Age Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Steel
Walter Von Nessen Modern Swing Arm Floor Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Walter Von Nessen for Nessen Studios modern floor lamp with adjustable swing arm, aluminum with basket-form metal shade, signed under weighted base "Nessen Studios No. 10."
Measures...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Walter von Nessen Art Deco Bookends
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of sculptural Art Deco bookends, designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase, unsigned, American, circa 1930s. They are believed to be constructed of brass, but have taken on a warm...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Walter Von Nessen "Continental" Coffee Making Service for Chase Brass and Copper
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Hudson, NY
Wonderful American Art Deco design from 1934. Chrome-plated copper coffee set with Bakelite handles and lid holders. Made by Chase Brass and Copper I...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Copper, Chrome
Art Deco Walter Von Nessen Bookends for Chase, Toy Soldiers in Brass & Bakelite
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Very rare pair of Walter Von Nessen toy soldier bookends in brass and bakelite. All original with beautiful patina and age. Hallmarked. Very slight separation at one corner, see photo.
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Table Lamp by Walter Von Nessen
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A corrugated patinated brass table lamp with a glass diffuser shade to direct light upwards and a fabric shade to soften the glow.
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Chase Walter Von Nessen Horse Bookends Statue
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Oakland, CA
Extremely rare set of chase Equestrian bookends sculpture designed by Walter Von Nessen in 1932. Industrial Design incorporated with the latest mat...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Nessen Studio Marble Table Lamps in Black Marble
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautiful pair of black and white veined marble block table lamps by Nessen Studio. These lamps are very heavy. We have fitted for normal shades. Wi...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Marble, Metal
Early Pair of Von Nessen Swing Arm Table Lamps
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A rare pair of brushed chrome desk lamps, with the original early light switches on the base of the lamps.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Pair of Italian Polished Marble Table Lamps, Von Neesen
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Solid Pair of stunning Italian Carrara marble table lamps. Beveled vertical edges. UL listed double socket good for 300+ wattage. In...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Marble, Brass
Early 1930s Walter Von Nessen Floor Lamp, Art Deco
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Great example, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Walter Von Nessen adjustable height floor lamp. From 50" -58", retains original milk glass shade, also original white bakelite on/off switch, brass ...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Brass
Toothpick Server
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A polished silver sphere with multiple perforations for holding and dispensing toothpicks. Stamped "Chase USA".
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Chrome, Steel
Walter Von Nessen Red Enamel and Brass Table Lamp 1930s Art Deco
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Troy, MI
Iconic table lamp designed by Walter Von Nessen circa 1930
Red enameled aluminum canopy shade with brass arm on a red base
Stamped Spear CL2 to base
Category
1930s Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Pair of Early Art Deco Floor Lamps by Walter Von Nessen
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of early Art Deco floor lamps, designed by Walter Von Nessen for Nessen Studios, American, circa 1940s. They slide up and down for an adjustable height. They have been rewired a...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Furniture
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Walter Von Nessen furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Walter Von Nessen furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Walter Von Nessen furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Walter Von Nessen were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Tony Paul, Frederic Weinberg, and Lee Rosen. Prices for Walter Von Nessen furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $175 and can go as high as $18,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,500.
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