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Small Objects With Big Impact

Small Objects With Big Impact

Timeless Mid-century Modern objects

April 25, 2024

Hi friends 👋

Welcome to this week’s installment of The Midmod Corner.

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🗞️ The Story

While mid-century modern design is frequently identified with iconic furniture pieces, smaller design objects often serve as cultural touchpoints. They subtly anchor the space to the era that inspired it.

Some objects carry such intrinsic star power that serious design enthusiasts can identify them at a single glance.

Notably, during the 60s, objects often held significance beyond their appearance. The most iconic designs usually have a rich backstory and hold an important place in the history of modern design.

George Nelson Ball Clock

The Ball Clock, created in 1949, marked George Nelson's debut in clock design for the Howard Miller Clock Company, a journey that spanned over 150 clock models sold from 1949 to the 1980s.

This clock is a reflection of its era, incorporating starburst and asterisk motifs prevalent in the 1950s. George Nelson's design approach was unique; he explored how people interpret time and determined that the position of the clock hands sufficed for time-telling, eliminating the need for numbers. This insight was influenced by the evolving role of clocks, which became more ornamental than purely functional due to the widespread use of wristwatches.

Eames House Bird

The "Eames" House Bird, often mistaken as an Eames design, actually originated with Charles and Edna Perdew. A passionate couple from Henry, Illinois who enjoyed crafting and painting bird decoys in the 1930s. One of their simple black bird carvings from around 1910 gained popularity among collectors in the 1950s for its minimalistic shape and dark color.

During a trip to the Appalachian mountains, Charles and Ray Eames acquired one, making it a cherished decor piece in their living room and featuring it in their product photoshoots. Vitra later created a faithful reproduction through 3D scanning of the original, allowing enthusiasts to bring this mid-century icon into their homes.

Alvar Aalto Savoy Glass Vase

The story goes that Alva Aalto, a Finnish architect and designer, collaborated with his wife Aino to craft the vase in 1936. This project was part of their assignment to develop custom furniture and fixtures for the upcoming luxury restaurant in Helsinki known as the Savoy, hence the name of the vase.

Even now, every vase within the Alvar Aalto Collection is meticulously mouth-blown at the Littala factory, maintaining its status as an enduring symbol of modern Scandinavian design.

Girard Wooden Dolls

Hailing from Florence, Italy, Alexander Girard's childhood was enriched with folk art toys that sparked his lifelong passion for the genre. This passion culminated in 1952 when he designed his home in Santa Fe and created the Wooden Dolls, a vast collection of wooden figures crafted from solid pinewood and depicting human and animal characters.

The uniqueness of each Wooden Doll lies in its meticulous hand-painting, with every brushstroke contributing to their individuality despite sharing a common appearance. This attention to detail ensures that each wooden figure is distinctly crafted, making them truly one-of-a-kind pieces.

Uten.Silo

While the Uten.Silo (1969) falls outside the technical boundaries of the mid-century modern period, it encapsulates its essence and vision.

Designed by Dorothee Becker, a German self-taught designer, who aimed to infuse organization and tidiness with a trendy and playful flair.

Even though the Uten.Silo is so iconic in the design industry and made such a big impact, there is still so little information about its designer. And that unfortunately seems to be the case for most female designers from the 20th Century.