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Walter Von Nessen Seating

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
Extremely Rare Modernist Art Deco Settee/Bench by Walter von Nessen c.1929
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Extremely Rare Pair Modernist Settee/ Bench designed by Walter von Nessen , circa 1929. retains it's original color, finish, patina, They're has been some minor professional restor...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Seating

Materials

Birch

Rare Pair Modernist Arm Chairs by Walter von Nessen, Art Deco, circa 1929
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Extremely Rare Pair Modernist Arm Chairs designed by Walter von Nessen , circa 1929. Chairs retain they're original color, finish, patina, In need of restoration, mainly feet ,(venee...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Walter Von Nessen Seating

Materials

Birch

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Pair of Rare Modernist Chairs by Walter von Nessen
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Walter Von Nessen seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Walter Von Nessen seating are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original seating by Walter Von Nessen were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 1920s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Bloomingdale's, Lloyd Manufacturing Co., and Warren McArthur. Prices for Walter Von Nessen seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $18,000 and can go as high as $18,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $18,000.

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