Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
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.
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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Handmade Ceramic
Crackle Glass Paperweight, United States, c.1970
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Handmade Ceramic & Crackle Glass Paperweight, United States, c.1970
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ceramic, Stoneware
$140 Sale Price
20% Off
HERMES PARIS 1970 Desk Cylinders Lighter
Cigarettes Box In Gilt And Sterling
By Louis Ravinet and Charles D
Enfert 1, Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
A desk set of lighter and cigarettes case designed by Hermes Paris.
This is a very handsome smoker set, created in Paris France by the luxury house of Hermes, back in the 1970. The ...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Silver, Gold
$5,588 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Nickel - plated Auböck ring holder around 1950 ( signed )
Located in Wien, AT
Nickel - plated Auböck ring holder around 1950 ( signed )
Original condition
Category
1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Nickel
Werkstätte Hagenauer Sculptural Foot Bowl or Tray, Midcentury, Brass, Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming and humorous Austrian brass bowl or tray in the shape of a foot, designed and executed by Werkstatte Hagenauer Vienna in the 1950s. also...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Carl Aubock Mid-Century Horn Desk Pen
Pencil Holder Cup, Austria, 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A decorative handmade desk pen and pencil cup holder from the 1950s. Designed and manufactured by Werkstätte Carl Aubock, workshop in Vienna / Austri...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Horn
Paperweight attributed to Baccarat
Located in Miami, FL
A beautiful paperweight attributed to Baccarat.
Paperweights were created in France in the 19th century. Glass paperweights began to be widely collected in the mid-19th century, af...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Barovier Toso Murano Pink Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bird Figurine Sculpture
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown clear, dark pink, and bubbles Italian art glass baby bird figurine. Documented to the Barovier e Toso Company. I have owned several with labels be...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
$300 Sale Price
25% Off
Vintage Cut Geode Paperweight
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice vintage cut geode paper weight, circa 1960s. The piece is in very good condition with wonderful brown, tan, grey and blue colors and measures 4...
Category
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Petrified Wood
$220 Sale Price
20% Off
Stich Leather Pencil Holder Krystal Tray 1950s France
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice black Stich leather pen holder, comes with a Krystal Glass inlay
signed '' Val Saint Lambert '' attributed to Hermes or Jacques Adnet.
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Leather
$452 Sale Price
20% Off
Carl Aubock „C“ Walnut Clothes Coat Brush, Signed, Midcentury, Austria, 1960s
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful modernist clothes or coat brush in the shape of the letter C from the 1960s. Designed and executed by Carl Aubock III, Vienna/Austria. Handmade of walnut and natural hors...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Walnut
Vintage Swedish Bakelite Table Phone
Located in Vienna, AT
Bakelite table phone by LM Eriksson from the early 1960s.
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Steel
Vintage Chiseled Silver Fountain Pen "Sonnet" by Parker, USA 1963
By Parker
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a vintage fountain pen "Sonnet" manufactured by Parker. Sonnet’s exceptionally chiseled finishes and engraved patterns are complemented by a handcrafted...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold, Silver
Murano Blue Orange Ribbons Controlled Bubbles Italian Art Glass Egg Paperweight
By Fratelli Toso, Venini
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and colorful vintage Murano hand blown blue, orange, white and bubbles Italian art glass egg shaped paperweight. Created in the manner...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso
$488 Sale Price
24% Off
Italy Mid-Century Modern Style Black Crystal Faceted Table Lighter
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an elegant table lighter designed with a shape that evoques the Mid-Century Modern Italian style. A similar pattern of this design can be possible to find in the production ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
$714 Sale Price
20% Off
Carl Auböck Horn Pen Holder, Austria, 1960s
Located in Berlin, DE
Carl Auböck horn pen holder, Austria, 1960s.
Category
1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Horn
Walter Bosse Cat Figurine with Thermometer, 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Walter Bosse cat figurine with thermometer, 1950s
Austrian desk thermometer, cat figurine and a lantern-shaped thermometer.
Designed by Walter Bosse...
Category
1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Barbini Murano Red Blue Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bubble Design Paperweights
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced Per Item (3 different colors available).
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red, blue and gold Italian art glass paperweights with bubble decoration. Documented to designer ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
$240 Sale Price / item
20% Off
KERRY Irish Art Glass Paperweight Hand Blown in a Jade to Emerald Green 1980s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Kerry art glass paperweight hand blown in dark olive green, jade and emerald colors with small bubbles.
Hand crafted in Ireland, circa 1980s.
Sticker still attached.
Kerry Glass...
Category
Mid-20th Century Irish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Carl Aubock Table Magnifier 1950 Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
Carl Aubock table magnifier, mid-20th century. Crafted from solid brass with high-quality optical glass, this elegant piece exemplifies Aubock’s meticulous craftsmanship and function...
Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Functional Tesla Phone 1971
Located in Praha, CZ
For sale is a mid-century phone, original vintage condition, elegant black glossy design, great addition to your collection
Category
1970s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Bakelite
Desk Accessory in Travertine Attributed to Fratelli Mannelli, Italy, 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Amazing desk accessory (pen holder - letter holder) in travertine attributed to Fratelli Mannelli, made in Italy in the 1970s
Weight: 3 Kg.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Travertine, Marble
Shoehorn wood and brass around 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Shoehorn wood and brass around 1950s
Brass and wood
Category
1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Nickel Hook
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Nickel Hook.
Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist midcentury wall hook is executed in choice of patinated brass, polished brass, or ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Nickel, Brass
$415 / item
1970s Patinated Brass Ashtray Table Sculpture Mid-Century American Design
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Similar to the ubiquitous Art Deco black bakelite ashtrays designs prevalent in American Diners and Bowling Alleys of the early Twentieth Century.
The bottom is rounded like a coco...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Carl Auböck Model #4206C Polished Brass Bowl
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck model #4026A polished brass bowl.
Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural Viennese bowl or catch-all is executed in polished brass. Originally con...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
$420 / item
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Brass Hook
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4329 Polished Brass Hook.
Designed in the 1950s, this versatile and minimalist midcentury wall hook is executed in choice of patinated brass, polished brass, or p...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
$349 / item
Sculpture of a Ice Bear Designed by Livio Seguso, Ca. 1970s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A sculpture of a stylized ice bear in smoke grey glass. Hand made in the Gral glass manufactory, germany. Designed by Livio Seguso ca. 1970. Base with incised...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Art Glass
60s Italian Modern Aldo Londi Ashtray
Cigarette Holder by Bitossi Raymor
Located in Miami, FL
Wonderful combo of Ashtray and Cigarette Holder designed by Aldo Londi and produced by Bitossi for the retailer/importer Raymor. The hand painted and decorated portion of the pieces...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
$304 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Dice Steel Metal Sculpture or Paper Weight Mid-Century Modern, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Vintage German Steel Dice Paperweight (Art Deco Style, c. Mid-20th Century)
A striking minimalist sculpture and paperweight, this German steel cube features a single dice form balan...
Category
1970s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal, Steel
Vintage Silver Plate Engraved and Monogrammed Notepad Holder - England
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A petite silver plate monogrammed desk pad and pen holder. This piece features a flip-up top portion that reveals an area for holding a small notepad with faux leather padding. The t...
Category
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Silver Plate
A.Ve.M. Murano Satin Surface Millefiori Flowers Italian Art Glass Paperweight
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Last one available!
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown, satin surface and applied flower murrines Italian art glass paperweights. Documented to the A.Ve.M. (Arte Vetraria Muranese)...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Murrine, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass
$225 Sale Price
25% Off
Gilded Bronze Box with Poem by French Art Jeweler Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A gilt bronze poudrier box with cast poem on surface by Parisian art jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997) circa 1940s. The poem "Les 4 ages de la Femme" was an old French lyrical poem th...
Category
1940s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Mid-Century Modern Textured Gold Frog Tape Dispenser
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Textured Gold Tone Metal Frog Tape Dispenser, 1960's
This vintage two piece tape dispenser is from Ted Arnold Ltd. The charming frog with green glass eyes is stamped on the inside l...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
Barovier Toso Murano Clear Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bird Figurine Sculpture
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown clear, gold flecks, and bubbles Italian art glass baby bird figurine. Documented to the Barovier e Toso Company. I have owned several with labels ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
$300 Sale Price
25% Off
1970s Wood and Metal Peter Pepper Two Tier Letter Tray
Located in San Diego, CA
A fantastic paper tray. High quality construction with metal elements. Peter Pepper Products produced many icons of California Designs. USA, 1970s.
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Rollei 35B Miniature 35mm Film Miniature Viewfinder Camera Carl Zeiss Triotar 28
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Rollei B35 35mm Film Miniature Viewfinder Camera With A Carl Zeiss Triotar 40mm F3.5 Prime Lens
Rollei Slip Case (Silver model)
Made In Germany
The Rollei 35 is a 35mm minia...
Category
Late 20th Century Singaporean Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Metal
$336 Sale Price / set
30% Off
Murano Venini Bianconi Red Coral Flame Italian Art Glass Vintage Paperweight
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red coral flame or "Fiammati Corallo" Italian art glass egg shaped paperweight. The piece has been documented to designer Fulvio Bianconi, for the...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Blown Glass
$760 Sale Price
20% Off
Set of 4 Bookends Model 4909 by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell, 1960s
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Set of 4 Bookends Model 4909 by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell, 1960s.
This Set of 4 Bookends Model 4909 by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell is made of yellow plastic material. They were ma...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Plastic
Carl Aubock Polished Brass Letter Opener #4233
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubock polished brass letter opener #4233. Produced by Carl Auböck IV in the original Auböck workshop in Vienna, Austria using the same standards, high-quality materials, origin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
$552 Sale Price / item
20% Off
Vintage Swedish Black Bakelite Table Phone
Located in Vienna, AT
Bakelite table phone by LM Eriksson from the early 1960s.
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Steel
Carl Auböck Model #7250 Polished Brass
Swing
Vase
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #7250 Polished Brass 'Swing' Vase.
Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and modern vase is executed in polished brass by Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Austria....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Glass Sea Lion Paperweight by Folke Walving, Sweden, 1960
s
Located in Glasgow, GB
A modernist-style sea lion paperweight, crafted in the 1960s by Swedish glassmaker Folke Walving.
Made from clear, sparkling lead crystal, the sculptur...
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
$230 Sale Price
38% Off
Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lazy Susan
Bowls in Hardwood, Tropic Art, 1970s
Located in New York, NY
This beautifully crafted rosewood Lazy Susan, made by Tropic Art in the 1970s, is a striking example of Brazilian mid-century functional design. The piece features a substantial rota...
Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Hardwood
Vintage Fratelli Toso Millefiori Desk Lamp, Murano, circa 1950
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Vintage Fratelli Toso Millefiori Desk Lamp, Murano circa 1950
A rare millefiori murrine glass desk lamp manufactured by Vetreria Fratelli Toso, Murano around 1950. Made of blue glass with melted white and green glass threads and polycrome murrines. Surface with satinated finish. The lamp is an authentic example of early 20th century Murano art glass. It was part of a large Fratelli Toso glass collection with over 600 pieces - collected since the 1970s. Working condition. It features a E14 European socket.
Fratello Toso was one of the leading art glass manufacturers of Murano in the 20th century. In the early 1900's Fratelli Toso started to produce glasses in murrine technique. Murrine and Millefiori glasses remained a major product field of Fratelli Toso. In 1912 a very successful series of liberty inspired art glasses, designed by Hans Stoltenberg Lerche...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
Emporio Armani Seguso Murano Iridescent Italian Art Glass Paperweight and Bag
By Seguso Viro
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful Murano hand blown Sommerso clear and iridescent surface Italian art glass paperweight. The piece is documented to the Seguso Viro company, for the Emporio Armani stores in ...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
Fontana Arte Glass Notepad, Italy 1950s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Milan, IT
A beautiful Fontana Arte two-colored glass notepad.
Original label.
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Vintage Clear Glass Magnifying Dome Paperweight
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Clear Glass Magnifying Dome Paperweight
"a simple way to add some fun to your desk"
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Carl Aubock Ball Tripod Candlestick Walnut Candle Holder, Austria 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A lovely Midcentury Modern candleholder from the 1950s, designed and crafted by Werkstätte Carl Auböck. This nice piece features a ball-shaped design with a tripod base and is made f...
Category
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Walnut
Italian 1920s wrought iron dragon and snake paperweight
By Carlo Rizzarda
Located in Milan, IT
Splendid Italian 1920s wrought iron dragon and snake paperweight.
Category
1920s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wrought Iron
Letter Holder Paperweight in in Travertine by Fratelli Mannelli, Italy, 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Letter holder or paperweight in travertine marble by the designers Fratelli Mannelli, Italy, 1970s.
Weight: 5 kilos.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Travertine, Marble
Mid-century Typewriter Grome Model N, 1940
s Germany
Located in Praha, CZ
Made in Germany in the 1940's by Groma.
Made of plastic, chrome.
With aged patina.
Fully functional, re-polished, in original condition with signs of wear.
Category
1940s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Chrome
Barovier Toso Murano Blue Orange Red Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Paperweight
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and unusual, vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso multi color canes and gold flecks Italian art glass paperweight. Documented to designer to the Barovier e Toso company. Crea...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Gold Leaf
$520 Sale Price
20% Off
Sculptural Bronze Paperweight, circa 1970, France.
Located in Brussels, BE
Sculptural decorative paperweight, circa 1970, France.
Gilded bronze.
Dimensions: 11 cm W, 8 cm H, 2 cm D.
Good condition.
All purchases are covered by our Buyer Protection Guarantee...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Bronze
Seguso Spherical Paperweight in Murano Glass with Gold Dust, Italy 1950s
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic spherical shaped paperweight made mouth-blown Murano glass with gold leaf inside. This incredibly charming paperweight was designed by Archimede Seguso in Italy during the ...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass, Blown Glass
1970s Vintage Arnaldo Pomodoro Insp Brass Pop Art Paperweight Italy
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Fabulous solid heavy Italian brass paperweight in the style of highly the collectible Italian sculptural artist, Arnaldo Pomodoro
This thick, chncky modernist paperwork is uniquely...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Brass
Sculpture of a Stylized Eagle Designed by Livio Seguso, Ca. 1970s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
A sculpture of a stylized eagle in smoke grey glass. Hand made in the Gral glass manufactory, Germany. Designed by Livio Seguso, ca. 1970. Base with incised signature of the artist (...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Art Glass
Multi Faceted Brilliant Crystal Paperweight
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A 3 inch Crystal Paper weight with many facets. The piece is heavy and will hold down important papers, yet it's faceted surface with many cuts allows the piece to be a decorative p...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Crystal
Fornasetti paper weight 1962 Zodiac calendar
Located in London, GB
Rare Fornasetti porcelain paperweight with Zodiac calendar c1962
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Porcelain
Art Deco Pan-Am DC3 Wooden Airplane Desk Model, Midcentury
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Art Deco / midcentury large DC3 desk aviation model.
Pan-Am wooden airplane model.
It was in an office of the company in South America.
Very good restored conditions. Slight age wear.
History
Pan American Airways began the first transatlantic passenger service on this day in 1939. Pan American World Airways, as it was to be known, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal United States international air carrier from the late 1920s until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems.
The history of Pan American Airways is inextricably linked to the expansive vision and singular effort of one man – Juan Trippe. An avid flying enthusiast and pilot, Trippe, only 28 years old when he founded the airline, lined up wealthy investors and powerful government officials from his personal acquaintances in the high-society of the 1920s. However, Pan Am’s first flight was an inauspicious start to its epic saga.
In 1927, facing a Post Office deadline for the commencement of mail carriage, Pan Am had no working equipment for its sole airmail contract between Key West and Havana. Fortunately for Pan Am, a pilot with his Fairchild seaplane arrived at Key West and was willing to carry the mail to Cuba for the start up operation. It is fitting that Pan Am’s first flight would be over water, since the airline would Pioneer overseas routes throughout its history.
Pan Am’s fortunes took a turn for the better in the fall of 1927. Through the heavy lobbying efforts of Juan Trippe, Pan Am was selected by the United States government to be its “chosen instrument” for overseas operations. Pan Am would enjoy a near monopoly on international routes. Added to Pan Am’s Cuba route were lines serving Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Most of these destinations were port cities, which could be reached only by landing on water. Therefore Pan Am made good use of its “flying boats,” the Sikorsky S-38 and S-40. Flights were eventually expanded to serve much of South America as well.
EnlargePan Am’s fleet of Clippers allowed the airline to conquer the Pacific in the mid-1930s. The flying boats would later be put to military use in WWII.
Just a few years later, Pan Am launched its effort to cross the world’s largest oceans. Survey flights across the Pacific were conducted with the Sikorsky S-42 in 1935, but passenger service required bigger and better aircraft. Accompanied by much fanfare, the Martin M-130 was introduced in 1936, followed by the Boeing 314...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Wood
Vintage Czech Glass Grape Cluster Sculpture, Hand-Blown Art Glass, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
A striking hand-blown art glass sculpture in the shape of a grape cluster, likely made in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s. The piece features rich shades of ruby red and violet, with bea...
Category
1970s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Desk Accessories
Materials
Glass
Mid-century Modern desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern desk accessories 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 desk accessories created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern desk accessories made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original desk accessories, popular names associated with this style include Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Fratelli Toso, Walter Bosse, and Herta Baller. 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 desk accessories differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $34 and tops out at $28,500 while the average work can sell for $548.
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