Knoll furniture history book

As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the united states. This book provides excellent photos, with all the history on the family of designers that made this company what it is. Henry dreyfuss designs railway car interiors for the twentieth century limited, and raymond loewy for the broadway limited. Knoll brings timeless modern design to contemporary spaces with iconic lounge chairs, sofas, tables, desks, storage, performance seating and outdoor furniture.

Founded by florence and hans knoll in 1938, knoll has built its brand on modern furniture since its inception. The 100yearold florence knoll bassett revolutionized the way we live and. Detailed fabric catalogs, including technical specifications. The fabrics and objects were beautiful, but what struck me most was the rich story of women in design from its founding in the 1940s until the present day, almost all creative directors of the textile division have been women with the exception of a brief period in the 1980s. Hans knoll, the son of a pioneer german furniture manufacturer, founded the knoll company in new york city in 1938, one year after immigrating from germany. Home design look book knoll continue shopping at knoll. A modernist universe is a history of all things knoll the founders, the company, the furniture. Knoll a modernist universe while i regularly write about companies that use knoll products, i must admit that i was woefully ignorant to the importance and gravitas that knoll possesses in the history of american furniture production prior to reading brian lutzs, knoll. Parker knoll is a british furniture manufacturing company, formed by frederick parker, a british furniture manufacturer, and willi knoll, a german inventor of a new form of sprung furniture.

His father was one of germanys first manufacturers of modern furniture. Get even more great ideas about cool furniture design history book by visiting our recommendation website with click here to get more many interesting offers and promos are waiting for you. View this item and discover similar for sale at 1stdibs first edition, published by schiffer publishing, 1999 starting out as a leather business in stuttgart, 1865, the. The eponymous furniture company that german immigrant hans g. Knoll founded in 1938 in new york, and later built into a bastion of modern interior design in. A vivid company biography of leading furniture manufacturer walter knoll based on its formative figures wilhelm, hans, and walter knoll, and most recently, markus benz. Knoll textiles, 19452010 book cover of knoll textiles. He hired florence schust, a cranbrook graduate who had worked for gropius and breuer, and the two were married in 1946. Welcome to walter knolls official international facebook page. Visually exciting, comprehensive in content, this new book documents the modern furniture sold and produced by knoll from 1938 to 2005.

Knoll midcentury modern furniture collectors guide 1950s id. As the creative force behind knoll, the legendary furniture company. Jul 11, 2010 the eponymous furniture company that german immigrant hans g. Our founders, hans and florence knoll, embraced the creative genius at the bauhaus school and the cranbrook academy of art to create new types of furniture and environments for the workplace. Wilhelm knoll, founder of the knoll dynasty, opened the doors of his leather shop. From the saarinen dining table to barcelona chair, knolls designs are beautiful, timeless, and always iconic.

This book provides excellent photos, with all the history on the family of designers that made this company what it. Knoll furniture, 19381960 book chicago public library. Early history of the knoll family this web page shows only a small excerpt of our knoll research. Walter knoll book walter knoll walter knoll walter knoll. They corresponded to the time period of the 1920s, in which massive, extensively upholstered furniture disappeared and got replaced by lowlying upholstery furniture with filigree bases made of steel tube, aluminum. A detailed timeline organizes the history of knoll furniture with illustrations, from its roots at the bauhaus, to new york city, through knoll international. His grandfather, wilhelm knoll, founded the family business in 1865 and built a reputation for highquality furniture. For fans of midcentury classics, youve found your heaven in knoll. Design transcends style, it creates coherence in a chaotic world. A detailed timeline organizes the history of knoll furniture with. Production facilities were moved to pennsylvania in 1950. After the death of hans in 1955, his wife florence knoll took over as head of the company.

Last week i toured an exhibition of knoll textiles 19452010 at the bard graduate center. Highlighting the individuals and ideas that helped shape knoll textiles over the years, this book brings. Knoll furniture company with the intent of bringing the modern ideals championed at bauhaus in weimar, germany to america. Hans knoll establishes a furniture company in new york. Gmbh in 1926 and is increasingly producing upholstered furniture with a lounge character. Walter knoll the furniture brand of modernity it all started in 1865 with a leather business in the heart of stuttgart. Its heritage stretches back to 1865 when the first knoll business was opened in stuttgart, germany. These different types of content can be explored through three different views. The other form of knoll sofa is recognizable by many people. With an early aptitude for design, she attended the cranbrook academy of. Florence knoll bassett was born florence schust the origin of her nickname, shu in michigan in 1917. If you love modern furniture, you will love the history of knoll. Thank you for visiting with article cool furniture design history book. The knoll interactive timeline is a rich web experience that visualizes knolls rich and deep history.

An easytouse identification guide includes production dates and designer attribution. Since 1938, knoll has been recognized for creating modern furniture that inspires, evolves, and endures. The furniture designers of that era were old white men, so she was the outlier. The book charts the more than one and half century history of this remarkable furniture dynasty, tracing the evolution of its designs in relation to key cultural and. From the saarinen dining table to barcelona chair, knoll s designs are beautiful, timeless, and always iconic. Star furniture company, a manufacturer of highquality, traditionalstyle bedroom suites, opens for business in zeeland, michigan. Once the textbook for designers, decorators and architects alike, jansen furniture is the most comprehensive overview of twentieth century contributions to. His father and business partner, richard dick schultz created the most iconic outdoor furniture of the midcentury modern erathe 1966 collectionand his mother worked in the planning unit with florence knoll. Knoll uses modern design to connect people to their work, their lives, their world. This book catalogs furniture produced by the knoll furniture company of new york during its first two exciting decades. The company was founded in new york city in 1938 by hans knoll. The content in the timeline is split into three categories. It was rare at the time for a woman to be running a business.

In 1946, she married the furniture designer hans knoll and became a partner at knoll international. Jan 28, 2019 florence knoll bassett was born florence schust the origin of her nickname, shu in michigan in 1917. This book is an essential reference for all who are interested in modern furniture design. Diversified company, active in office furniture and accessories, and textiles. One dates back several centuries and the most likely place a person will see this design is in a museum, a furniture history book, in the home of a lover of classic furniture or offered at the occasional auction house. Manufacturers representatives and distributors of upholstery, furnishing and drapery fabrics for residential and contract applications. Walter knoll is regarded as one of the worlds foremost furniture companies. Original catalog photographs and many from the knoll museum archive, a company history, designer biographies, and a revised price guide are included. Steeped in the history of modernism, our vision is carried forward today by the most talented contemporary designers to bring order and beauty to life and work. Florence knoll bassett, 101, designer of the modern american. While it was first created in 1926, it marked the beginning of a new era in modern furniture with a design that maintains a progressive look even today. Florence knoll bassett, a pioneering designer and entrepreneur who. Over 270 illustrations present forms by such influential designers as eero saarinen, harry bertoia, isamu noguchi, george nakashima.

The knoll price list library provides price information for all our collections and products all content is free and downloadable via pdf. Knoll is modern always because modern always works. She asked eero saarinen to design a chair like a great big basket of. With essays by experts, biographies of about eighty designers, and images of textiles, drawings, furniture, and ephemera, knoll textiles, 19452010 is the first comprehensive study devoted to a leading contributor to modern textile design. Very nice, a detailed history of this icon of design. Their approach, where craftsmanship joined with technology through the use of design, anchors our perspective and shapes the values we endeavor to live by. With roots in the manufacture of highquality furniture, the brand concentrated on massmarket products from the 1930s to the 1990s. Star furniture company is renamed michigan star furniture company. Gently used knoll furniture up to 40% off at chairish. Founded by florence and hans knoll in 1938, knoll has built its. The name knoll is synonymous worldwide with the best in modern furniture design. Hans and florence knoll met and married as a new chapter in history. Knoll later hired florence schust, a freshoutofcollege architecture grad who had an inherent eye for interior space planning. Knoll founded in 1938 in new york, and later built into a bastion of modern interior design in pennsylvania, brought steel, glass and.

A knoll sofa can refer to two very different sofas. Welldesigned objects deliver efficiency, joy and satisfaction to the people who use them. Their range includes furniture by eoos, norman foster and pearson lloyd. Founded in 1938 by hans knoll and joined by his wife, florence knoll, the company is credited for bringing european modern design to america, then nurturing the best homegrown talents at midcentury to build the most successful and prestigious highend furniture company in the world. Meanwhile, hans knoll, born in stuttgart, germany in 1914, is the second son of walter knoll, a successful secondgeneration furniture manufacturer. The history of knoll is the history of modern design. With roots in the manufacture of highquality furniture, the brand concentrated on mass. Jan 29, 2016 the story of midcentury modernism in america is inconceivable without knoll, the furnishings and textiles company founded by hans knoll in 1938 and joined by florence knoll in 1941. The rest is history vividly and excitingly told in the new book by bestselling author bernd polster. Since 1938, knoll has been recognized internationally for creating workplace and residential furnishings that inspire, evolve, and endure.

Iconic furniture designs by 20th century giants, like eero saarinen and harry bertoia. The next year, they opened a textiles division and showroom that was. The famous wassily chair by marcel breuer is precisely one of these, the first ever chair to feature a bentsteel frame. Knoll, inc is a design firm that produces office systems, seating, files and storage, tables and desks, textiles knolltextiles, and accessories for the office, home, and higher education settings. In the 1940s and 1950s, knoll furniture became symbolic of the modern design movement. Walter knoll, the book, charts the oneandahalfcenturyold history of this remarkable furniture dynasty, tracing the evolution of its designs in relation to key cultural and. Florence knoll was the creative lead in the company, where she led the interior design of. View this item and discover similar for sale at 1stdibs first edition, published by schiffer publishing, 1999 starting out as a leather business in stuttgart, 1865, the knoll empire grew as walter knoll expanded. Another 7 words 10 lines of text covering the years 1791, 1794, 1790 and 1869 are included under the topic early knoll history in all our pdf extended history products and printed products wherever possible.