Machine-Age Brushed Steel Desk by Norman Bel Geddes
About the Item
- Creator:Simmons Company Furniture (Manufacturer),Norman Bel Geddes (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 44 in (111.76 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)
- Style:Machine Age (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. The desk has been stripped but shows some of it s original patina.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1560221192152
Simmons Company Furniture
Best known for industrial and Art Deco style metal furniture, Simmons Company Furniture was among the leading manufacturers and sellers of steel furniture from the early to mid-20th century.
In 1923, the Chicago-based furniture firm captured international attention when it introduced the world’s first bedroom suite made of steel. This innovative approach to design made waves throughout the furniture manufacturing industry, which, at the time, produced primarily wooden furniture.
Towards the late 1920s, Simmons Company Furniture began collaborating with American modernist industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. Bel Geddes was renowned for his sleek, streamlined, futuristic style, seen in Electrolux appliances, radios for Philco and RCA and the aerodynamic Chrysler Airflow. Bel Geddes was also the designer behind the famed General Motors “Futurama” exhibition at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
For Simmons, Bel Geddes designed a steel bedroom furniture ensemble in 1929, including an enameled steel vanity, bed frame and dresser, each with chrome-finished accents. In 1933, Simmons exhibited the suite at the Century of Progress World’s Fair in Chicago, garnering critical acclaim. Over the next few years, Bel Geddes designed several other pieces for Simmons, such as an Art Deco-style one-drawer side table, leather-upholstered metal armchairs, vanity benches and chests of drawers.
In addition to these modernist designs, Simmons created American Classical furniture and steel reproductions of Windsor, Chippendale and Sheraton pieces aimed at the upper-middle-class market. To soften the industrial look, many pieces, such as rocking chairs, armchairs, desks and dressers, were enameled in color finishes or imitation wood.
Simmons Company Furniture pieces have had a resurgence in popularity, particularly among interior designers and collectors of early 20th-century furniture. The company’s furnishings are in museum collections across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum in New York.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of Simmons Company Furniture seating, case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and more.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1930s American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks
Metal, Steel, Cut Steel, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Stainless Steel, Steel, Cut Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Stainless Steel, Cut Steel, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Stainless Steel, Steel, Cut Steel
More From This Seller
View AllEarly 20th Century American Art Deco Ottomans and Poufs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Machine Age Dressers
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Machine Age Night Stands
Steel
Vintage 1940s American Machine Age Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Steel
Early 20th Century American Sheraton Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
