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.
1970s Italian Space Age Tubular Floor Lamp
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1970s Space Age floor lamp featuring a tubular steel construction, cream-colored powder-coated finish, and an articulating gooseneck head for precise directional lighting. Tall, mini...
Steel
1970s Italian Ivory and brass coffee table in the style of Tommaso Barbi
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant solid brass and ivory lacquer table with rounded corner beveled glass top very nicely crafted with faux ivory and brass tusks, styled after Tommaso Barbi’s incredible line of...
Brass
Pair of Trouvailles Metal and Brass Side Tables with Swan Necks and Doors, Frenc
By Trouvailles Furniture Inc.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A PAIR OF FRENCH PATINATED STEEL AND PARCEL-GILT GUERIDONS Each with removable galleried top above two cupboards on turned legs headed by swan-neck-shaped handles 21½ in. (57 cm.) h...
Gold Plate, Brass, Steel
Vintage Mid century modern solid mahogany Two-tiered waterfall coffee table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Crafted in solid ribbon mahogany the top and sides are made from the same slabs. Table features intersecting woodworking joinery and waterfall edges. Two lower compartments at 10.5...
Mahogany
1960s Mid-Century Modern Walnut Modular Cabinet, Record Cabinet, side table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1960s Mid-Century Modern walnut modular cabinet featuring beautifully sculpted recessed panel doors, warm walnut veneer, and a clean architectural silhouette resting on a recessed plinth base. Its compact cubic proportions and minimalist design make it an exceptionally versatile piece, functioning equally well as a record cabinet, vinyl storage cabinet, low credenza, media console, end table, nightstand, lamp table, or modular coffee table. The understated craftsmanship and timeless form pair effortlessly with today’s most sought-after interiors, including organic modern, Japandi, Scandinavian modern, quiet luxury, California modern, Danish modern, and minimalist spaces. A highly adaptable storage piece that works as a standalone accent or grouped with additional modules to create a custom credenza or media wall. The cabinet features two sculpted walnut doors that open to generous interior storage while maintaining a seamless, uninterrupted exterior. The warm walnut grain, recessed plinth base, and softly carved door panels reflect the restrained elegance that defines classic American and Scandinavian-inspired modern furniture. Its low profile also makes it ideal for vinyl collectors, bedside storage, or as a sculptural living room accent. Mid Century Modern cabinet, walnut cabinet, modular cabinet, record cabinet, vinyl storage cabinet, LP storage, media cabinet, low credenza, cube cabinet, sculpted walnut cabinet, carved panel cabinet, architectural furniture, minimalist cabinet, Danish modern, Scandinavian modern, American modern, California modern, organic modern, Japandi furniture...
Black Walnut
Adrian Pearsall style 1960s Walnut and Ivory fabric lounge chair
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 1960s lounge chair. Solid walnut construction with thick ivory fabric. Very heavy build, with springs in the seating.
Fabric, Walnut
Walter Von Nessen Brass Swing Arm Table Lamp with Adjustable Cylindrical Shade
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Studio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Attractive 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...
Brass
Walter Von Nessen Antiqued Brass Swing Arm Library Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Walter Von Nessen by Nessen Studio / library table lamp in antiqued brass finish. USA, circa 1970. Features a swing arm and pivoting, perforated, cylindrical shade. Complemented b...
Metal, Brass
Brass Swing Arm Desk Lamp in Mid-Century Modern Style, Germany, 1970s
By Holtkoetter
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice swing arm Desk lamp . Brass . Turn switch on base . lots of patine .so stylish . 1970s Germany .
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Brass Large Table Lamp by Florian Schulz, 1960s, Germany
By Florian Schulz
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Crystal Glass and Metal Frame Ceiling Lamp, 1960s, Germany Lampshade is in very good vintage condition. Heavy and large lampshade. It has European plug. It can be converted to othe...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Brass Swing Arm Table Lamp by A. Kuhlman, 1972
By Kuhlman & Co.
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice unusual small swing arm table lamp. Made off Brass. Halogen switch on the base. 1970s Germany.
Brass
Adjustable Mid-Century Modern Brass Table Lamp or Desk Light Sweden 1960s
By Florian Schulz, Vereinigte Werkstätten München
Located in München, BY
Elegant Mid-Century Modern brass table lamp. With adjustable arm and rotating lamp shade. Designed and manufactured probably in Sweden, 1960s. Executed in brass sheet and tube, the ...
Brass
