Mid-Century Magic

The 1950s to 1980s are the hot trend today. When we first went into the antique business in the 1980s, no one wanted that ugly (at the time) 1950s and ’60s modernist design; the bizarre clock in your mom’s kitchen or the odd Danish-designed table in your parents’ den was not so much collectible as old hat. In the grand spirit of “everything old is new again,” from around 2005, these mid-century modern pieces started to enjoy a renewed hipness, especially among twentysomethings.

Fast forward to today, and these Jetsons- and Sputnik-era (also called “Eames-era”) designs — often characterized by asymmetrical shapes, spikes, suns and bubbles — are fascinating, and add a breath of the unexpected to your office or home.

antique clock
mid-centaury chair

Mid-Century Collectibles

These items range from organic curves and clean lines in the furniture of Charles EamesPaul EvansJoseph EichlerKnoll and Hans Wegner to small occasional tables with a bubble or constellation design by Edward Wormley or Dunbar. 

There are also watches and jewelry set in silver and gold and signed by David Webb, Ed Weiner, Sam Kramer (famous for his mushroom mark), Adler, Bacharach, Bergman, Ball, Brynner, Gilbert Albert and Pardon (of particular importance).

These designs are not for everybody; many think they are gaudy and overbearing. And therein lies the appeal.

robot canvas
belt buckle

This is an archival article formerly written and is for informational purposes only. The valuations in this article have likely changed since it was first written.

Continue reading

Never miss an article

Share This Article

Skip to content