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Ward Bennett

American, 1917-2003

Ward Bennett created everything from interiors and furniture to textiles and flatware. The unsung New York City-born modernist designer drew on the work of Le Corbusier and Auguste Rodin, studied art with the likes of Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and counted legendary American luxury house Tiffany & Co. among his clients. For decades, Bennett created and filled spaces that were elegant, minimalist and deeply appealed to everyone who laid eyes on them.

Bennett left home and school at the young age of 13. He found work in Manhattan’s Garment District, and within a few years, Bennett traveled to Europe on behalf of a clothing manufacturer to gather ideas for modern garments. He lived abroad as a young man, and when he returned to New York, during the early 1940s, he assisted fashion entrepreneur Hattie Carnegie as a window dresser.

Bennett would also go on to share a sculpture studio with artist Louise Nevelson. He ventured into the world of jewelry design, creating necklaces, bracelets and other pieces with Richard Pousette-Dart. The Whitney Museum of American Art exhibited his sculptures, and it wouldn’t be long before the Museum of Modern Art included Bennett’s personal adornments with accessories by the likes of Alexander Calder, Harry Bertoia and Anni Albers in its 1946 “Modern Handmade Jewelry” show.

Bennett didn’t take the plunge into interior design work until he was 30 years old — his inaugural project was an apartment in Manhattan and his clients were family members. He had no formal training in architecture or decorating — and would ultimately design a mere handful of houses in his life — so for his inviting leather office chairs, marble-topped tables and sleek storage cabinets, Bennett relied only on what he learned in the fashion world. Soon, every time he redecorated his own home — an elaborate apartment comprising former maids’ quarters in New York City’s magnificent Dakota building — it earned splashy coverage in the newspapers.

Bennett’s client list eventually included David Rockefeller and Chase Manhattan Bank, Tiffany & Co., Sasaki, Italian industrialist Gianni Agnelli, and others, and during the 1970s he became in-house designer for Brickel Associates, a role that would endure for more than two decades. His work is on permanent view at the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Ward Bennett seating, decorative objects and more.

Average Sold Price
$2,862
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
One Vintage Midcentury Ward Bennett Brickel Executive Chair
By Ward Bennett
Located in Pasadena, TX
Best known for his interiors, Mr. Bennett`s projects include residence in New York, London, Venice and Rome, as well as his own quarter, a Manhattan apartment atop the Dakota, a coun...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ward Bennett

Materials

Chrome

Pair of Ward Bennett Sheepskin Side, Dining Chairs
By Ward Bennett
Located in New York, NY
Classic mid-century side or dining chairs featuring sinuous ebonized Oak frames, dense Norwegian sheepskin interior backs and seats and boucle/basketweave uphiolsterey on outside backs. Fabic has a neutral...
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ward Bennett

Materials

Sheepskin, Upholstery, Wood

Ward Bennett for Brickel and Associates Desk Conference Chair
By Ward Bennett
Located in Pasadena, TX
Bumper desk chair by Ward Bennett for Brickel and Associates Ward Bennett for Brickel and Associates Task Chair Bronze 4-star swivel conference room chair in a green tweed fabric....
Category

Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Ward Bennett

Materials

Fabric

Pair of Ward Bennett “Scissor” Lounge Chairs
By Ward Bennett
Located in Round Rock, TX
Wonderful pair of War Bennett “scissor” Lounge Chairs in ivory leather and chrome. First produced in 1964, Bennett too inspiration from 19th century foldi...
Category

1990s North American Mid-Century Modern Ward Bennett

Materials

Chrome

Pair of Ward Bennett for Brickel Leather Tub Chairs
By Ward Bennett, Brickel Associates
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Ward Bennett for Brickell Associates Beige Leather Covered Tub Armchairs, labels to undersides. 33" H x 23.5" W x 24" D; seat: 18" H.
Category

Late 20th Century North American Modern Ward Bennett

Materials

Leather, Wood

Pair of Oak "University" Chairs by Ward Bennett
By Ward Bennett
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of solid oak 'University' armchairs designed by Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates, 1971. The 'University Chair' was designed for the Lyndon B Johnson Library and Museum.
Category

1970s Vintage Ward Bennett

Materials

Oak

Ward Bennett Desk or Table Base for Lehigh Leopold
By Ward Bennett, Lehigh Leopold
Located in Chicago, IL
Ward Bennett Desk or Table Base. Listing is for the base only complete with Black steel plate mounts (not shown in photos). The base will require a simple top to be made for it. The...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ward Bennett

Materials

Aluminum

Sasaki Sengai Japan Clear Lead Crystal Vase Ward Bennett Mid-Century Modern 75
By Ward Bennett
Located in Miami, FL
Signed Sasaki Sengai round lead crystal flower vase, etched to-clear, made in Japan and designed by Ward Bennett. 24% Lead Crystal. Marked with Label and...
Category

1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ward Bennett

Materials

Crystal, Lead

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Creators Similar to Ward Bennett

Ward Bennett furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Ward Bennett furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ward Bennett furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Ward Bennett were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Selig, Brown Jordan, and Kipp Stewart. Prices for Ward Bennett furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $215 and can go as high as $78,600, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,775.

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