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Dux Overview UPDATE
 

Dux Overview UPDATE  

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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
16/10/2022 5:23 pm  

Hi all,

It has taken a while for me to get my act together and update my basic overview of DUX in USA.

I started by going through all my saved Dux photos, links etc..in my not so orderly files.

PART 1:- TIMELINE

Came across a discussion on the E-bay community Forum. A poster  introduced himself as Folke Ohlsson's grandson ( Tom Ohlsson) and said Folke arrived In California in 1953 and set up in San Francisco. Production was moved to Burlingame in 1959.

We know he applied for his knockdown patent in 1949, which was finally granted in 1953. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2650657A/en

In previous posts on this Forum about  DUX, it was noted some production was outsourced eg; Canada and Denmark, but they continued to import from Sweden as well. 

The " Carmel" collection was first sold in 1959 and included imported furniture from other designers;- Sven Ivar Dysthe, Alf Svensson and also included models Folke designed for Bodafors. The CARMEL catalogues are difficult to find but I do have images saved from a closed auction.

Last but not least @dustdevil kindly shared a Dux 1966 catalogue. Lots of images; wont be posting them all !!

In PART 2 , I will post images (from catalogues and adverts) of  well known designs/models from the early 50's to the 60's

 

PART 2. Furniture production images and timeline. (All approximate)

Starting with the  earliest catalogue I have, from the 50's, posted on Mats Linder's (ML) page;- link posted at end of post.

3 0f the models in this catalogue, Tema, USA 143 and Scania also feature in the Dux 1966 catalogue,(Flickr link).Tema is also known as model 175 .The model New York was designed by Edward Wormley  for Dunbar, in the early 50's and produced under licence for a number of years by Dux in Sweden; not in the Dux 66 cat. (see ML's page for image)

http://www.matslinder.no/2018/10/16/dux-produktkatalog-fra-1950-tallet/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/196758265@N06/with/52434663930/ ( all from the Dux 66 cat)

Unfortunately Carmel collection catalogues ,(late 50's to 60's) are rare. Posting link to a sold auction ( hope admin allows this, don't want to clutter up the thread with too many images) . Ohlssons  grandson also replied to a post about a Carmel chair being designed in 1958 and produced in 1959; don't have image saved unfortunately 🙁  

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/dux-folke-ohisson-carmel-collection-3768004497

I have a lot of other images of adverts found on the web most of which are the more familiar models. They also show the various dealers that stocked the furniture and their addresses . Image below for Dux Imported Scandinavian Originals advert which lists New York, Montreal,  San Francisco and Malmo. I have it dated 1958 in my files.

PART 3,to follow: Further adverts ,other designer furniture imported by Dux  and random images.

1666010787-Dux-Nils-jonson-cabinets-Dux-inc-SF-1958.jpg
 
PART 3
 
This section will look at more background information on DUX in it's early days.
 
1:- I will start by looking at BRA BOHAG.
Any internet search for Dux furniture will throw up designs with this label ( image 1)
The two main designers  for Dux were Folke Ohlsson, who decamped to America and Alf Svensson , who stayed in Sweden and designed the STUDIO line (contour series etc;) You will  come across lots of Dux furniture with that label. Some of those models were also imported into the USA by Dux.
Bra Bohag ( BB)was an association of textile and furniture manufacturers ,who came together ( ? the 30's  )  with the aim of strengthening their position, both in the domestic market as well as the Export market, in particular , to USA. Erik Ljung (Dux) was the initiator of this enterprise. It included the leading manufacturers of the time: in 1971 Svenska Mobelfabrikerna (SMF), aka Bodafors, who produced quality furniture in the 1950s/1960s for the growing middle classes in Sweden, joined Bra Bohag (Dux).

I had saved a number of images from Bra Bohag furniture catalogues and pics from other publications, namely Scandinavian Design , edited by Vigo Sten Moller ( 1953) most of them the early Dux models from ML's catalogue; for example,  models USA 143, Tema, Scania and other chairs that appear in the '66 catalogue ( see link in Part 1). Model 247, with caned back, makes an appearance in a BB advert from 57/58 ( Image 2) 

A Bodafors catalogue , link below, has some Folke Ohlsson furniture designs  which feature in the Carmel Collection from late 50s early 60's and also in '66 cat. You will be familiar with the "Monterey". aka 72-C /V11; model number 6173 in '66 cat.

PART 3 to be cont'd.

Moving on to further information ; 

DUX labels.

Various pieces of Dux furniture that were imported to the USA will have a burn mark, (some have a paper mark) with either " made in Sweden" or "made in Denmark". From what I have seen, the made in Denmark stamps are found on furniture designed by Danes; for example the E. Kirkegaard ,Hong Stolefabrik models 26 and 52.

Other designers;- Numbers in brackets are from the catalogues referenced.

E. Kirkegaard. ( Denmark):- '66 catalogue. Models 26( 7220) & 52(no model number in catalogue)

Sven Ivar Dysthe (Norway);- Carmel catalogue ( see link above;part 1) .Models from the 1001 and 4001 range, all made by Dokka.

Yngve Ekstrom( Sweden):-'66 catalogue( ref no. in brackets) Models Arka,(6140).Pinocchio (7101)and Rondina (5026)

Arne Halvorsen( Norway) '66 catalogue; ref number5127. Made by Karl Sorlie.

Bruno Mathson (Sweden) models Jetson(6005) and Pernilla 69  ( I have no date for this Dux catalogue) Image 4

Erik Ole Jorgensen. Model Orestad (5497). Image 4

Licenced producers:-

Asko, Artifort* ( Interior 2; Mats Linders page) Fritz Hansen, AP Madsen* (Canada; see models  Form 24 and Nyform 1:-ML cat)

Retailers in USA. There were many... including George Jensen, Onskebo,International Home Furnishings, Furniture Design Centre,NY (Plenty of images on the internet)

 * Links from previous discussions on this Forum:-

a:- Artifort. https://designaddict.com/community/main-forum/columbus-chair-hartmut-lohmeyer/#post-175801

b:- AP Madsen. https://www.furniturelinkca.com/news113.htm

That is all (for the moment !!) If anyone has questions ,wants further images or has other information to add to discussion, please post.

http://www.matslinder.no/2016/03/22/svenska-mobelfabrikerna-bodafors/

 

image 1;-

 
 
1666626331-Screenshot-939.png
 
Image 2:-
1666626458-Screenshot-178.png
 
Image 3:- Bra Bohag members from late 50s
1666626527-Screenshot-925.png
 
Image 4:-
1667201351-Screenshot-167.png
This topic was modified 2 years ago 16 times by lexi

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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
31/10/2022 8:46 am  

Last but not least, a big thank you to @dustdevil for sending me the DUX '66 catalogue images which inspired me to post this DUX overview.

All questions or other info welcomed.

 

Knowledge shared is Knowledge gained


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tktoo2
(@tktoo2)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 745
31/10/2022 4:26 pm  

Thank you, @lexi, for your generous help in getting our DUX in a row!


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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
31/10/2022 4:32 pm  

@tktoo2. Thanks. Hope you could make sense of it !! I certainly will not be winning any prizes for my writing skills. I was never very good at prose or essay writing while at school; on the other hand I can talk for Ireland, just put me on a podium, with a projector and I would have done a better job on this topic.

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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
31/10/2022 4:39 pm  
Posted by: tktoo2

Thank you, @lexi, for your generous help in getting our DUX in a row!

All puns  welcomed.!! 😉 

Knowledge shared is Knowledge gained


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tktoo2
(@tktoo2)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 745
31/10/2022 4:44 pm  

@lexi, It all seemed clear to me but I went to art school and, thus, am probably the least qualified to critique anyone's writing skills much less yours!

To be completely honest, pub banter is my first language. Apologies for any resulting bad puns.


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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
07/11/2022 10:07 am  

New information. @dustdevil ( thanks again) sent me the Summer supplement for the '66 catalogue. 

Some added designs but most interesting is a map of USA with locations of representatives AND the addresses of the company offices and production location. Also the countries,and locations where the furniture was made .

At last , clarification to some unanswered questions.

Images of map.

1667812047-image1-3.jpeg
1667813583-Screenshot-960.png
1667813628-Screenshot-961.png

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lexi
 lexi
(@lexi)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1286
07/11/2022 7:02 pm  

I was intrigued by the Belgian Congo reference and did a google search of the address.

Found this snippet of info; a job application from the then manager of Dux, in the Congo, with information about his current employment at the time (1961-1963), showing the address of Dux in Malmo from the early days as well as their Belgian Congo address.

 

1667844177-Screenshot-975.png
1667844210-Screenshot-976.png

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