Walter Von Nessen Antiqued Brass Swing Arm Library Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:Walter Von Nessen (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
- Lampshade:Included
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Natural aged patina, some age related wear.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU788736950872
Walter Von Nessen
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Walter Von Nessen style Machine Age Table LampBy Walter Von NessenLocated in New York, NYA brass and black metal table lamp; possibly by Walter Von Nessen. USA, circa 1940. Rewired with new sockets and French black silk twisted cord. Takes one standard US bulb, 75 wat...Category
Vintage 1940s American Machine Age Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Nessen style Brushed Metal Swing Arm Desk LampBy Nessen StudioLocated in New York, NYSwing-arm desk lamp in brushed metal finish. USA, circa 1990. Includes off-white paper drum shade. Takes one standard U.S. bulb, 75 watts max. Dimensions: 22.5 inch lamp he...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Minimalist Chrome Table Lamps by Nessen StudioBy Nessen StudioLocated in New York, NYPair of minimalist chrome table lamps by Nessen Studio, founded by Walter Von Nessen. USA, circa 1960. Newly rewired with French black silk twist wire. Features on/off switch on st...Category
Vintage 1960s American Minimalist Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Modern Walnut & Brass Table LampLocated in New York, NYModern walnut and brass table lamp. USA, circa 1960. Features a reverse tapered wood stem with sculpted brass base. Two available; priced individually.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Antique 6-Scroll Arm European Brass Chandelier with ShadesLocated in New York, NYA monumental European bronze chandelier (possibly French) with 6 electrified scroll arms supporting candleholders capped with paper shades. Features Classic period design elements ...Category
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBronze
- White Gesso Table Lamps, a PairLocated in New York, NYA pair of white table lamps made of gesso over ceramic form. USA, circa 1970. Rewired with new sockets, brass hardware and French black sil...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Walter Von Nessen Brushed Brass Swing-Arm Desk LampBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Chicago, ILEarly 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
Vintage 1950s American Table Lamps
MaterialsMilk Glass
- Walter Von Nessen Brass Swing Arm Table Lamp with Adjustable Cylindrical ShadeBy Walter Von Nessen, Nessen StudioLocated in Brooklyn, NYAttractive and highly functional desk / table lamp by Walter Von Nessen for his eponymous Nessen Studio (ca. 1970s, New York City). Features a swing arm and pivoting, perforated, cyl...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Walter Von Nessen Style Brass Swing Arm Desk Lamp with Pale Green Shade, 1940'sBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Bainbridge, NYWalter Von Nessen Style Brass Swing Arm Desk Lamp with Pale Green Shade. Featuring a Brass column with extending and adjustable swing arm. extending to 16L. With original white smoot...Category
Vintage 1940s American Machine Age Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Iconic Walter Von Nessen Swing Arm Desk Lamp with Original Metal ShadeBy Walter Von NessenLocated in New York, NYWonderful 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 Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Walter Von Nessen Aluminum Swing Arm Floor LampBy Walter Von NessenLocated in Buffalo, NYWalter 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
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair of 1970s American Walter Von Nessen Style Swing Arm Chrome Table LampsBy Walter Von Nessen, Nessen StudioLocated in London, GBPair of 1970s American, swing-arm, chromed-metal, table lamps attributed to Walter Von Nessen because of their style and functionality. The circular base with smooth curved edges ha...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
