Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
1860s Dutch Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Mahogany
1860s German Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Wood, Lacquer
2010s Danish Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Steel
2010s Danish Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Steel
1970s Vintage Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Brass
20th Century Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Cherry
1960s Unknown Vintage Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Mahogany
1870s English Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Metal
1950s French Vintage Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Rattan
Early 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Rosewood
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Wrought Iron
19th Century British Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Iron
1870s German Antique Biedermeier Magazine Racks and Stands
Wood, Cherry