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Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

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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Creator: Walter Von Nessen
Pair of Art Deco Nickel Horse Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co.
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice and hard to find pair of Machine Age / Art Deco satin nickel horse bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. The solid nickel bookends on a black nickel...
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Early 20th Century American Art Deco Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Nickel

Crescent Moon & Brass Art Deco Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co.
By Chase and Co., Walter Von Nessen
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous pair of bakelite crescent moon and brass Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. The bookends have a black bakelite crescent moon siitting on a ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Art Deco Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

Pair of Chrome Elephant Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USA
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chrome bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of bookends feature two chrome plated brass elephants with curved tubular bodies and geometric shaped h...
Category

1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass, Chrome

Art Deco Stylized Cat Door Stop by Walter Von Neesen for Chase, circa 1935
By Chase and Co., Walter Von Nessen
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 More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass, Copper

Rare Art Deco Cat Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Mfg.
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
In the early 1930's, when building all but came to a halt, the Chase Mfg. Company, a copper plumbing parts supplier, hired several young modern industrial designers to make inexpensi...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

Pair of Machine Age Art Deco Copper & Brass Bookends by Walter Von Nessen
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
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...
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1930s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass, Copper

Pair of Brass and Wood Block Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USA
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of brass and wood bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of bookends feature two brass figures with curved tubular bodies and geometric shaped wood head...
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1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

Pair of Art Deco Ship's Wheel Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co.
By Chase and Co., Walter Von Nessen
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice pair of Art Deco ship's wheel bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. The bookends are made of walnut, brass and bakelite...
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Early 20th Century American Art Deco Walter Von Nessen More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

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Walter Von Nessen more furniture and collectibles for sale on 1stDibs.

Walter Von Nessen more furniture and collectibles 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 more furniture and collectibles, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original more furniture and collectibles 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 more furniture and collectibles by Hubley Manufacturing Company, Chase and Co., and Tiffany Studios. Prices for Walter Von Nessen more furniture and collectibles can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $500 and can go as high as $2,400, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,150.

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