Danish Modern Copper Desk Lamp by Jo Hammerborg, 1960s, Denmark

Johannes (Jo) Hammerborg was a passionate innovator and lighting designer credited with the success of the Danish lighting company Fog Mørup. His sleek ceiling lights, floor lamps and table lamps are characterized by the simple lines and clean aesthetic of Scandinavian modern design.

Hammerborg was born in Randers, Denmark, in 1920. As a young man, he trained as a silversmith before attending the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1949, Hammerborg began working as a silversmith at leading Danish silverware brand Georg Jensen. He worked at Georg Jensen until 1957, when he became the chief designer at Fog Mørup.

Hammerborg brought both his modernist designs and his good business sense to Fog Mørup. He helped the company create a strong brand and implemented a stringent manufacturing process to ensure high quality. During his time with Fog Mørup, Hammerborg designed over 60 lighting fixtures and collaborated with other designers such as Torsten Thorup and Claus Bonderup, Erik Balslev, Sophus Frandsen and more. Vintage Hammerborg lighting is functional and accessible and was intended for easy coordination with modern interior decor.

Among Hammerborg's most famous works are his 1966 Trombone series. Trombone pendants, floor lamps and table lamps feature cylindrical shades in various metallic finishes and are fantastically versatile. The Milieu pendant from 1975 is another notable Hammerborg design. Its hemispherical shape gives the shade a light and airy quality, and Hammerborg's love of parachuting inspired its distinctive appearance.

Hammerborg left Fog Mørup in 1980. The company subsequently underwent a series of mergers that eventually led to its closure. 

Hammerborg’s brilliant lighting creations remain in high demand today. The Hammerborg family has collaborated with Danish furniture brand Warm Nordic — which has reissued iconic mid-century works such as Hans Olsen’s inviting Fried Egg armchair — in order to relaunch the Trombone and Milieu series.

On 1stDibs, find an extensive collection of vintage Jo Hammerborg lighting.

Fog Mørup was a legendary Danish lighting manufacturer best known to collectors for the sleek and sculptural ceiling lights, wall lights and floor lamps that the company produced in the postwar years. Its vintage fixtures are ideal for design enthusiasts looking to introduce a splash of Scandinavian modernist ingenuity into a space.

Founders Ansgar Fog and Erik Mørup reportedly met in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1902. They became fast friends and discussed going into business together. An opportunity materialized a couple of years later when they discovered a newspaper advertisement — an Aarhus consignment warehouse had been vacated and its landowner was looking for a business to sign a new lease. The friends took a chance and established a wholesale metalwork business.

In 1906, Fog and Mørup moved the business to Copenhagen and focused on lighting. They purchased an electrical company in 1913 and opened a lighting factory shortly thereafter. The following two decades saw rapid expansion. One of the most notable Fog Mørup designs from the interwar period was the brass Kongelys table lamp, created by Niels Rasmussen Thykier.

Johannes (Jo) Hammerborg, an alum of leading Danish silverware brand Georg Jensen, joined Fog Mørup as head of design in the late 1950s, ushering in a period of commercial success and international prominence.

Hammerborg was an innovative designer whose sleek and streamlined aesthetic came to define the company. During his time with Fog Mørup, Hammerborg designed over 60 lighting fixtures and collaborated with other designers such as Erik Balslev, Sophus Frandsen and more. Fog Mørup also worked with designers Torsten Thorup and Claus Bonderup, who created the iconic trumpet-shaped Semi pendant light in 1967.

Fog Mørup sales remained healthy into the 1970s. A merger followed in the ensuing decades and the brand definitively closed in 2005 after being acquired by Nordlux.

Find vintage Fog Mørup lighting on 1stDibs.