Hello
I'm Paul, new to posting on this forum (although analysed it for many years with excellent advice absorbed) and I was wondering if someone could shed some light on one subject which has eluded me for sometime. I have been reading into a Danish designer called Vermund Larsen. VL was was responsible for the world’s first office chair with automatic height adjustment using the gas cartridge system, and the ergonomically shaped seat and back. This was in 1962.
VL also started manufacturing steel products in 1935 , alongside one Ib Kofod-Larsen (possibly later than 1935) and with IKL constructed the first chair in Europe made from steel rods and fibreglass. It would seem that Vermund Larsen won the Holmegaard glass competition and the annual award from the Danish Cabinetmakers Guild in 1948, the same year as Ib Kofod-Larsen won the prestigious award. However, there is no recognition that I can find for both designers winning this award in 1948 and it got me thinking of who else might have won it. I understand that awards were presented to designers until the ceremony ended in the mid 60s with designers then having to exhibit their works for prominence / promotion. Does anybody know if there is a list of names or a chronology of the Holmegaard glass competition winners? This and also a list / chronology of winners for the annual award from the Danish Cabinetmakers Guild?
Best, Paul
Paul, You are great, Also, have a great study for designer's achievements, promotion, and annual awards. They had also gotten their awards and won the Holmegaard glass competition for their hard work.
You joined the forum today to tell me that I should study hard? That is very considerate of you. Unfathomable!
That's an interesting observation. I would guess that magazines such as mobilia or similar would report such prizes ?
Thanks for this suggestion. I will try to find Mobilia, although I haven't seen many around for some time.
I have been reading the 40 Years of Danish Furniture Design, edited by Grete Jalk and note that upon Jalk's research, along with a number of other researchers in her team, took information from newspaper articles and trade journal reviews as many images of the exhibition stands were lost or images not even taken. I wonder if Scandinavian countries have now scanned newspaper articles or journals to an archive database? This would be fun to read!
@paul Hi Paul, didn't see your post in September, but better late than never. I'd come across the name Vernon Larsen a couple of years ago and was surprised on what he invented. Now that you reminded me of him, I reread what can be found online. I noticed that the English Wikipedia has an entry on him. Its basically a shorter translated version of the Danish entry. The only difference: The English version gives the Holmegaard and Guild info, the Danish one doesn't.
My advice: Stick to the Danish version. Vernon Larsen was more of a mechanic than somebody working with wood or glas. Appart from that he had to run company which was not only producing steel furniture, it was also situated in Aalborg. He didn't take part in any Copenhagen Guild exhibitions and he also seems to have had no accomplishments whatsoever with glass. It was indeed Ib Kofod Larsen who won a Holmegaard Glas competition and the Guild award.
Concerning the list of names: I don't know where you could find it. Dansk Kunsthaandvaerk listed some of the winners of the guild exhibition, if I remember correctly. But most certainly not all of them.
"People buy a chair, and they don't really care who designed it." (Arne Jacobsen)
Concerning the list of names: I don't know where you could find it. Dansk Kunsthaandvaerk listed some of the winners of the guild exhibition, if I remember correctly. But most certainly not all of them.
Correct. They appear rarely for what I have seen. And the prize sometimes went to designers and producers that are not well known these days.
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