Mid-Century Modern Photography
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
to
432
465
98
519
45
2
Height
to
Width
to
566
438
118
29
23
17
16
11
5
2
2
1
1
2
517
47
17
369
119
13
88
142
48
69
71
31
12
535
82
54
26
19
422
163
149
119
114
566
565
566
91
62
43
18
17
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Set of 3 Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt set of 3 from Photogravures from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserv...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,432 Sale Price / set
73% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 111. 'Impatiens glanduligera. Balsamine, Springkraut. Stengel mit Verzweigung, natürlich Größe.'
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina.
Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1865 – December 9, 1932) was a German photographer...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$524 Sale Price
70% Off
Manolo Hugué Archive Photography of Sculpture
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Manolo Hugué archive photography of sculpture.
Printed, circa 1960.
Wood frame included.
Materials:
Gelatin silver bromide print
Dimensions:
D...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Wood, Paper
$530 Sale Price
50% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 30. 'Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum. Gemeine Wucherblume, große Maßliebe, M...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Large Signed Nude by Stilson circa 1966
By Stilson
Located in Redding, CT
Signed Bill Stilson 1966 nude lithograph. Willian H Stilson was a popular Rockport, Massachusetts artist known for figure, seascape, and genre paintings. ...
Category
1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Metal
$864 Sale Price
28% Off
Françoise Gilot Lithograph 'The Love Letter', 1951
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Françoise Gilot original lithograph 'The Love Letter'.
From the poetry book "Pages d'Amour" by André VERDET, editions Raison d'être, 1951, printed by...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$737 Sale Price
50% Off
and Peter Stackpole Vintage Photo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vintage photo gravure by the photographers Fiery Crags and Peter Stackpole, circa 1940.
Wood frame with passe-partout and high quality museum's glass....
Category
1940s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$962 Sale Price
70% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 12. 'Phacelia tanacetifolia. Bienenfutterpflanze. Blüterispen in 4 fach...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Vintage 1950s Original Male Physique Photograph by Bruce of Los Angeles
By Bruce Bellas
Located in Palm Springs, CA
An original iconic male physique photograph by legendary photographer Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of Los Angeles. Our collection (soon to be available on separate listings are all original (not copied from negative). This iconic image with a beach ball was one of the props that became synonymous with a Bruce Bellas photograph. Printed in the 1950s, the stamped images were printed when he was alive. They are the rare, sought after photographs prized by collectors of the genre. 8x 10 photograph, white matt, beautifully framed in classic black.
Bio:
An icon of gay art and one of the most famous names in physique photography, Bruce Bellas is remembered today as a pioneer of beefcake. Beginning in the 1940s and continuing until his death in 1974, Bellas photographed some of the most important figures in the world of physical culture; bodybuilders Steve Reeves, Bob McCune, and George Eiferman, and models Joe Dallesandro, Mark Nixon, and Brian Idol...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$600 Sale Price
20% Off
Vintage Manolo Hugué Black White Photography of Sculpture Circa 1960 Framed
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A captivating vintage photograph of a sculpture by renowned Spanish artist Manolo Hugué, printed circa 1960. This gelatin silver bromide print showcases Hugué’s artistic mastery, off...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Wood, Paper
$723 Sale Price
50% Off
Vintage Bruce of Los Angeles Matched Set Original B & W Male Photograph Set
Located in Palm Springs, CA
It is very rare to find a desirable iconic two piece set of original Bruce of Los Angeles vintage photographs. Especially with the iconic early work of...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,200 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Suite of Photographs of Georgia O'Keefe by Malcolm Varon
By Malcolm Varon
Located in Atlanta, GA
Suite of photographs of Georgia O'Keefe by Malcolm Varon, American, circa 1980s. They are from the limited edition portfolio "O'Keefe At Ninety". These photographs are in numerous mu...
Category
1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Biker in a Mirror Black and White Photograph Gravure Print by Burk Uzzle, 1980
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Biker in a mirror black and white photograph Gravure print by Burk Uzzle 1980
Gravure print (1984, France).
Burk Uzzle is an American photojournalist, previously member of Mag...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,040 Sale Price
20% Off
Fabulous Vintage Mid Century Steel Mill Occupational Photograph Dated 1958
Located in Rochester, NY
Wonderful 1950 occupational photograph. Simonds Saw and Steel Mill. Lockport NY. 1958. Silver gelatin photograph. In the original wood frame.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Original Photo of Grasshopper Armchair by Eoro Saarinen for Knoll / USA, 1948
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, 1950.
- Museum of decorative Arts in Czech republic.
- Suitable for framing.
- Photographed by Illek and Paul.
jr
Category
1940s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
1960s Black and White Fiat Seat 600 Car Photographs, Set of Three
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of three black and white photographs with their original frames with 600 Fiat seat cars. Spain, 1960s
Overall Measures
Dimensions of the photos framed:
25cm W x 19.5cm H
27.5cm ...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$938 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Marylin Monroe Photograph by Philippe Halsman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Philippe Halsman (1906-1979)
Marilyn Monroe (At a drive-in, eating a hamburger), 1952
Gelatin silver print, printed 1981, numbered '226/250' in ink and portfolio copyright credit sta...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Jose Ortiz Echagüe's Vision: Spanish Heritage in Photogravure, circa 1930
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Jose Ortiz Echagüe's Vision: Spanish Heritage in Photogravure, circa 1930
From 1930
Photography by Jose Ortiz Echagüe
Photogravure
Framed in black lacqu...
Category
1930s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$678 Sale Price
50% Off
Hollywood Then and Now by Rosemary Lord Book
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Hollywood then and now
Lord, Rosemary.
The film industry came to Hollywood in the early 1900s and Hollywood became a glamour factory, a city of fantasy. It was the home of the stars and the famous Hollywood sign beckoned through the smog, drawing in hopeful wannabes. Hollywood Then and Now teams photos...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 30. 'Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum. Gemeine Wucherblume, große Maßliebe, Mar...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Set of Twenty Karl Blossfeldt Framed Photogravures: Nature's Elegance (1942)
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Presenting a captivating set of twenty Karl Blossfeldt Photogravures from the 1942 edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur.'
In its original condition, this piece boasts minor wea...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$12,211 Sale Price / set
64% Off
Original Photo of furniture/interior by Charles Eames, USA - 1950
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, 1950
- Museum of decorative Arts in Czech republic
- suitable for framing
- photographed by Illek and Paul
jr
Category
1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 30. 'Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum. Gemeine Wucherblume, große Maßliebe, M...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$642 Sale Price
58% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 4.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and u...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 75.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and us...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Enrico Garzaro, Flora Photogram Black and White Contemporary Photography
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Photogram by Enrico Garzaro from the Flora serie, 2015.
Gelatin silver paper.
Category
2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$530 Sale Price
50% Off
School Wall Charts, City Istanbul
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This poster with a photo of the city Istanbul (Turkey) was produced by Europa et Schola Edition and used in schools for cultural education.
Foto: O. Pferschy, Istanbul - Druck: He...
Category
1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Arthur English, Hand Colored Photograph, Signed, South Africa, circa 1950's
Located in Chatham, ON
Arthur English - Mid Century original hand colored landscape photograph - dry mounted to paper board - unframed - signed lower/right by the photographer/artist - South Africa - circa...
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paint, Paper
Marilyn Monroe Pop Art Neon Serigraph Print by Bert Stern, 1962, mid-century Art
By Bert Stern
Located in Brooklyn, NY
1968 Pop Art "The Marilyn Monroe Trip" #5 & 6 print by Bert Stern
Bert Stern was the last man to photograph Marilyn Monroe. Stern made this image from one of the photographs of that ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$704 Sale Price
68% Off
Programme for the Thelonious Monk Quartet’s from the Charlie Watts Collection
Located in Long Island City, NY
Programme for the Thelonious Monk Quartet’s 1965 tour of Japan, from the Charlie Watts collection signed and inscribed by Thelonious Monk.
Thelonious Monk was an influential Americ...
Category
20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Man Ray Photography of Max Ernst & Marie Berthe Aurenche
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Portrait of Max Ernst and Marie Berthe Aurenche photographed by Man Ray, circa 1930.
A posthumous print from the original negative in 1977 by Pierre Gassmann.
Gelatin silver br...
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$4,599 Sale Price
50% Off
Man Ray Masterpiece: Timeless Elegance in Monochrome – Vintage Framed Photograph
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Step into the enigmatic world of Man Ray, a trailblazer in the realms of Dada and Surrealism, through this exceptional black and white photograph. Carefully framed in an early 20th-c...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$3,243 Sale Price
65% Off
Nobuyoshi Araki Woman Polaroid Signed
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Polaroid by Nobuyoshi Araki hand signed.
Nobuyoshi Araki born May 25, 1940) is a Japanese photographer and contemporary artist.
Having publ...
Category
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Plastic
$1,061 Sale Price
50% Off
Sonia Delaunay, Geometric Abstraction, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow Photolithography
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed photolithography by Sonia Delaunay, 1979.
Stamped Photogravure reproduction of series by Bolaffiarte. Limited edition of 5000.
Exemplary number 2784.
Category
1980s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,415 Sale Price
50% Off
Rare Man Ray Hand Signed Black and White Photography of Gigi, 1927
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Man Ray photography of Gigi, 1927.
Hand signed in pencil.
Stamped by Man Ray Paris.
Born (Philadelphia, 1890-Paris, 1976) Emmanuel Radnitzky, Man Ray adopted his pseudonym in ...
Category
1920s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$20,343 Sale Price
56% Off
Paris Nocturne: Brassai's Urban Portrait Framed Heliogravure, circa 1930
By Brassaï
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Embark on a journey through the nocturnal streets of "Paris de Nuit" with this exclusive rare heliogravure test print by Brassai. Prior to the publication of his iconic book, this pr...
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,108 Sale Price
62% Off
Man Ray Photography of a Woman
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Man Ray photography of a woman, circa 1930.
A posthumous print from the original negative in 1977 by Pierre Gassmann.
Gelatin silver bromide.
Born (Philadelphia, 1890 - Pari...
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$4,363 Sale Price
50% Off
British Royalty Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Period Framed Photographs
By Cecil Beaton
Located in New York, NY
A unique pair of original 1950s press proof fine photographic paper prints that were modern framed in 1980s
The Queen wearing the Diadem, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Necklace on her way to her first State Opening of Parliament 4 November 1952. This is perhaps one of the most famous illustrations of a young smiling soon to be crowned Queen.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother...
Category
1950s British Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Françoise Gilot Lithograph 'Untilted Face', 1951
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Françoise Gilot original lithograph 'Untilted Face'.
From the poetry book "Pages d'Amour" by André Verdet, editions Raison d'être, 1951, printed by M...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$737 Sale Price
50% Off
Man Ray Le Monde des Echecs Framed Photographic Print of Marcel Duchamp
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
1933 Man Ray — Le Monde des Échecs No. 1 (Halberstadt & Duchamp)
Original Photomontage Print, Framed & Free Worldwide Shipping
This rare photomontage comes from the 1933 “Le Monde des Échecs” series, created by Man Ray in collaboration with Marcel Duchamp. Depicting chess theorist Vitaly Halberstadt and Duchamp himself, the image explores the intersection of art and chess—a recurrent theme in Duchamp’s later conceptual work. This piece was issued by Éditions L'Échiquier to accompany Duchamp and Halberstadt’s manual L'opposition et les cases conjuguées sont réconciliées.
Technical Details
Artist Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky, 1890-1976)
Title Le Monde des Échecs Serie No. 1 — Halberstadt & Duchamp
Date 1933
Medium Offset photogravure on cream laid paper
Publisher Éditions L'Échiquier, Paris
Framed Size 29.5 h × 40 w × 1.3 d cm · 11.6 × 15.7 × 0.5 in
Frame Early 20th-century wood frame (distressed patina)
Condition Very good: subtle toning, minor signs of age consistent with 1930s prints; well preserved behind mat and glass
Provenance Private European collection · COA supplied
Presentation
Mounted under conservation matting and framed in a rustic early 20th-century wood frame. Frame pictured is original to the piece; minor scuffs consistent with age.
Shipping
FREE worldwide shipping via tracked, insured courier
Why Collectors Want This Print
Captures the intellectual fusion between Duchamp’s chess...
Category
1930s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$1,084 Sale Price
50% Off
Man Ray Surrealist Portrait Photography of Giorgio De Chirico
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Portrait of Giorgio De Chirico photographed by Man Ray, circa 1930.
A posthumous print from the original negative in 1977 by Pierre Gassmann.
Gelatin silver bromide.
Born (P...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$3,243 Sale Price
62% Off
Vintage Framed Tinted Photograph of Beach Landscape.
Located in Seattle, WA
This Piece has aged beautifully, gorgeous Patina throughout. Within wooden framing. Vintage Condition Consistent with Age as Pictured.
Dimensions. 22 W ; 1/2 D ; 13 1/2 H
Category
1970s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Wood
Black and White Industrial Factory Scene Photograph, American, 20th Century
Located in San Francisco, CA
Black and white photograph of an Industrial steel mill scene. American, early to mid-20th century.
Written on the back is Louis Creveling, California.
Professionally matted and frame...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
From The Personal Collection of Audrey Hepburn, Photo by Vincent Rossell, 1962
Located in Devon, GB
Audrey Hepburn on the set of 'Paris When it Sizzles,' Paris, 1962 by Vincent Rossell
Vintage gelatin silver print
Photographer's credit stamp, Au...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Other
Karl Blossfeldt Black White Flower Photogravure Botanic Photography, 1942
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Karl Blossfeldt Photogravure from the edition of the book 'Wunder in der Natur' in 1942.
Photography number 11. 'Phacelia tanacetifolia. Bienenfutterpflanze. Blütenrispen in 4 fac...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Marcel Duchamp "Seated Nude" Archive Photography, circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Archive Photography of Marcel Duchamp early painting "Seated Nude".
Printed, circa 1970.
In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful p...
Category
1970s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
$1,149 Sale Price
50% Off
Brassai's Insight: Photogravure of Picasso's Sculpture, circa 1948
By Brassaï, Pablo Picasso
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Brassai's Insight: Photogravure of Picasso's Sculpture, circa 1948
From 1948
Photography by Brassai
Photogravure
From 'The Sculptures of Picasso' by Daniel Henry Kahnweiler
Printed ...
Category
1940s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Audrey Hepburn, Original Vintage Photograph by Vincent Rossell, Paris, 1962
Located in Devon, GB
From the Personal collection of Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn and William Holden on the set of 'Paris When it Sizzles,' Paris, 1962 by Vincent...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Other
Man Ray Black and White Framed Photography
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Immerse yourself in the surrealist world of Man Ray with this framed black and white photograph, a masterpiece of surrealist art. Printed in heliogravure, this artwork is part of a l...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$678 Sale Price
77% Off
Black and White Photograph in New York City in 1942 - Artist Unknown
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Black and White Photograph
New York City / 1942
Artist and Date of Print Unknown
image: 10" x 10" - some "dents" on the image - see images
matte: 16" x 20" - matte needs to be repl...
Category
1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Alexander Calder, 'Z' Lithography, 1973
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Signed 'Z' photolithography by Alexander Calder, 1973.
Stamped rotogravure reproduction of series by Bolaffiarte. Limited edition of 5000.
Framed and signed in pencil.
In go...
Category
1970s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$672 Sale Price
76% Off
Architectural Industrial Black and White Photograph
Located in San Francisco, CA
One of a kind, never published, black and white photo of Industrial architectural construction site scaffolding, unsigned. Professionally matted and framed, American, early to mid-20...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Walter Wagner. Photography of Madeline Carroll in the film "Blockade", 1938
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Walter Wagner. Photography of Madeline Carroll in the film "Blockade", 1938
Drama directed by William Dieterle, United States, 1938.
Condition
Assembled as an album with a taped ma...
Category
1930s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$884 Sale Price
50% Off
Man Ray Stamped Black and White Framed Photography of a Model, circa 1970
By Man Ray
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Woman photographed by Man Ray.
A posthumous print from the original negative around 1970 by Pierre Gassmann. Gelatin silver bromide.
Stamped in the back with Man Ray Paris Stam...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
$4,711 Sale Price
50% Off
Marilyn Monroe Photograph by Philippe Halsman
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: Philippe Halsman (1906-1979)
Title: The True Marilyn
Medium: Gelatin silver prints
Date: 1952 printed in 1981
Edition: 186/250
Size: image 12.5" x 8.75"; with frame 20.2...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
Bruce of L.A. (Bruce Bellas) Original 50s Male Nude Photograph Masculine Model
Located in Palm Springs, CA
From an important 25 plus year collection of Male Physique and Beefcake photography, iconic image of masculine male model holding metal chain.. Printed in the 1960s and are all signed by the studio on verso when Mr. Bruce Bellas aka Bruce of LA was alive. Beautifully, professionally framed. Double white mat and simple black frame. All original photos are 8 x 10. Framed 16.50" W x 19" H.
Please see other listings for more photographs from this collection available for sale for the 1st time. These listing photographs are very hard to shoot under glass. They are sharp, clear photographs printed the old fashioned way, by hand in the late 50s and early 60s.
BIO:
Bruce Harry Bellas (July 7, 1909 – July 1974) was an American photographer. He was influential in his work with male physiques and nudes. Bellas was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles.
History and influence
Bruce Harry Bellas was born in Alliance, Nebraska on July 7, 1909. He worked as a chemistry teacher there until 1947, when he began photographing bodybuilders in Los Angeles, California, beginning with taking pictures of bodybuilding competitions. In 1956, Bellas launched his own magazine, The Male Figure. Among physique photographers, Bellas' work was noted for having a distinctly campy, tongue-in-cheek sensibility. Bellas also produced a number of early homoerotic 8 mm films with titles such as Cowboy Washup and Big Gun for Hire.
Bellas was known to travel around the country, finding new models to photograph and also personally delivering nude photographs to customers, since they were liable to be seized by postal inspectors if sent through the mail.
An extensive archive of Bellas' nude male physique...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Other
$600 Sale Price
20% Off
Original Photo of furniture by Helmuth Magga - Deutsche werkstätten / 1957
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, 1951
- Museum of decorative Arts in Czech republic
- suitable for framing
jr
Category
1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Paper
1967 Vogue Magazine Irving Penn Framed Fashion Print
Located in Stamford, CT
Vogue Magazine 1967 fashion editorial framed page. Marisa Berenson photographed by Irving Penn.
As found framed condition in pink wooden frame with...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Vogue Magazine March 1963 Framed Cover
By Irving Penn
Located in Stamford, CT
Vogue March 1963 framed original cover. Featuring cover model Burke Amey and a Cartwheel Hat by Halston by Irving Penn. newly framed in blue glossy wood frame.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-century Modern photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern photography for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage photography created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, more furniture and collectibles, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern photography made in a specific country, there are Europe, Spain, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original photography, popular names associated with this style include Karl Blossfeldt, Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, and Vincent Rossell. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for photography differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $30,367 while the average work can sell for $1,297.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Yixing Clay
Yokohama Porcelain
18 Italian Commode
18th Century French Regency Commode
18th Century Mens Coat
18th Century Sterling Salvers
19th Century Elephant Clock
1900 Bar Cart
1920 Antique Dresser With Mirror
1930 Curio Cabinets
1940s Kittinger
1970s Paco Rabanne
19th Century Japanese Dolls
19th Century Toilet Set
3 4 Size Antique Bed
3 Drawer Teak Desk
4 Panel Hand Painted Japanese Screens
4 Piece Silver Plated Coffee And Tea Service