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Vintage furniture · Decade 1950s

1950s.

Authenticated 1950s designer furniture. Saarinen Tulip, Eames LCW, Bertoia Diamond, Wegner CH24, Florence Knoll, Mies Barcelona. Paris, EU shipping.

Designers to know for this decade

1950s vintage designer furniture

The 1950s are when modern design left the schools and entered the home. It is the moment when Eames moulded shells reached mass production at Herman Miller, when Saarinen drew the Tulip for Knoll, when Wegner opened the way for editor-led Scandinavian furniture. The LAPIERRE selection gathers pieces dated between 1948 and 1959, sourced in France, Italy, Scandinavia and the United States, authenticated one by one through their maker's marks and production cues.

Why this decade matters

The 1950s are the decade of design's industrialisation. The end of the Second World War in 1945 leaves a Western economy in reconstruction, new materials available (moulded plywood, fibreglass, low-cost tubular steel), and a domestic demand for modern, accessible, functional furniture. Charles and Ray Eames, working since 1946 on plywood moulding techniques developed for the US Army, deliver the first LCW and DCW chairs in series at Evans Plywood and then Herman Miller. Eero Saarinen continues with the Womb Chair in 1948 and the Tulip collection drawn in 1955-1956 for Knoll, with its central cast-aluminium pedestal that removed what he called the "ugly jungle of legs".

In Denmark, Hans Wegner opens the decade with the Wishbone CH24 in 1949 at Carl Hansen, followed by a whole lineage of solid-wood seats (CH25, Papa Bear). Arne Jacobsen prepares the Ant Chair of 1952 and the Series 7 of 1955, which become the most produced chairs of the twentieth century. This Danish school sets out an organic, ergonomic, light-wood vocabulary that still informs contemporary interiors.

In Italy, Florence Knoll opens Italian Knoll in 1955 and bridges Bauhaus rigour with Latin sophistication. In the US, Mies van der Rohe relaunches the 1929 Barcelona Chair in a Knoll edition in 1948, which becomes the corporate-lobby reference. Harry Bertoia delivers the Diamond Chair in 1952, a steel-grid sculpture that marks the formal peak of metal in domestic furniture.

In France, Charlotte Perriand pursues post-Le Corbusier work with ski refuges, the Cansado bookcase and the first Cité Universitaire d'Antony projects. Jean Prouvé continues his demountable constructions and signs Standard chairs and B.C.B. bookcases that retain a strong rating today. In Brazil, Sergio Rodrigues develops the Mole sofa in 1957, the first Brazilian sofa to gain international circulation.

This creative density, in ten countries simultaneously, makes the 1950s the foundation of what is now called mid-century furniture. Pieces drawn in those years remain in continuous production, which sometimes complicates dating, but original-edition prices have remained stable and supported since the early 2000s.

Key designers and publishers

Charles and Ray Eames worked from Venice, California. Their lab on 901 Washington Boulevard delivered the first moulded-plywood, then fibreglass, then leather shells. Published by Herman Miller in the US and Vitra in Europe from 1957. The earliest Evans Plywood productions 1946-1949 are the rarest and best rated.

Eero Saarinen drew the Womb (1948), Grasshopper (1946) and Tulip collection (1956), all at Knoll. His central cast-aluminium pedestal became a reproducible signature, hard to imitate without the exact balance of the original drawing.

Hans Wegner worked from Copenhagen for Carl Hansen, Johannes Hansen and Fritz Hansen. The Wishbone CH24 remains the post-war Scandinavian best-seller, in continuous production since 1950. The earliest Carl Hansen runs are identifiable from the marks stamped under the seat.

Florence Knoll ran the Knoll Planning Unit and personally drew the sofas and desks that equipped the headquarters of major US firms. Her 1954 lounge sofa remains a high-end standard.

Harry Bertoia came from the Eames studio before joining Knoll. The 1952 Diamond Chair and Bird Chair define wire-mesh in author furniture.

Mies van der Rohe saw the 1929 Barcelona Chair re-edited by Knoll in 1948 and become a corporate reference. The Brno Chair followed in the same edition.

Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé signed in France the furniture for Cité Cansado, Méribel ski refuges and the Cansado bookcase whose Steph Simon editions remain the most sought after on the French market.

Iconic pieces of the decade

Saarinen Tulip Chair (1956, Knoll). Moulded fibreglass shell, central cast-aluminium pedestal. Available as chair and table. Original Knoll edition identifiable by the welded base and engraved mark.

Eames LCW and DCW (1946-, Evans/Herman Miller). Moulded-plywood shell, wood or metal frame. Evans editions 1946-1949 are the rarest. Later Vitra production keeps the technical quality.

Bertoia Diamond Chair (1952, Knoll). Welded steel grid, removable cushion. Original Knoll edition with hand welds, chrome or black-paint finish.

Wegner Wishbone CH24 (1949, Carl Hansen). Bent beech or oak, hand-woven paper-cord seat. In continuous production since 1950. Early-year pieces retain a stable rating.

Florence Knoll lounge (1954, Knoll). Two- or three-seater sofa, chromed tubular-steel frame, tufted-leather cushions. Reference piece of the corporate vintage segment.

Barcelona Chair (1929, Knoll re-edition 1948). Polished stainless steel, Knoll leather, leather straps. The first Knoll runs 1948-1965 are identifiable by the welds and Spinneybeck leather.

Womb Chair Saarinen (1948, Knoll). Fibreglass shell, steel base, wool upholstery. Original first-generation Knoll edition.

Sergio Rodrigues Mole (1957, OCA). Solid jacaranda sofa, leather cushions, leather straps. Brazilian OCA edition, stamped mark.

Recognising a period piece

1950s pieces generally retain a maker's mark under the seat or on the frame. For Knoll, an engraved metal plate or ink stamp. For Herman Miller, a woven label or riveted plate. For Carl Hansen, a stamped mark in the wood. Hand-welded tubular structures leave irregularity cues absent from recent automated production. Wood species (Rio rosewood on Scandinavian editions before 1973, Brazilian jacaranda on Rodrigues) date the piece indirectly. LAPIERRE photographs every mark, cross-checks against public publisher archives and flags any zone of uncertainty on the listing.

LAPIERRE process

Direct sourcing (private sellers, auctions, partner scouts in Scandinavia, France, the United States), workshop inspection with disassembly when needed, mark cross-checking against publisher archives, detailed condition report. Any restoration is documented and entrusted to specialised Paris workshops (caning, re-upholstery, wood-frame refurbishing). No restoration is hidden.

Request a specific 1950s piece

If you are looking for a specific 1950s piece not currently in selection, write to us. LAPIERRE activates its scouting network on request and can source a targeted piece within a few weeks depending on rarity.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why are 1950s pieces considered foundational to modern design?
The 1950s mark the post-war shift from artisanal to industrial design. Eames, Saarinen, Florence Knoll in the United States, Wegner and Jacobsen in Denmark, Perriand and Prouvé in France lay down the vocabulary that still structures contemporary interiors: ergonomic curves, tubular structures, moulded plywood, organic shells. It is also the decade when Knoll, Herman Miller and Cassina become structuring publishers, capable of mass-producing author pieces with industrial quality. These foundations explain why 1950s pieces remain so sought after seventy years later.
How do I tell a period 1950s piece from a recent re-edition?
A period piece keeps the original production methods and materials: moulded plywood made on the original Eames presses, original rubber mounts, visible welds and patina. Recent re-editions integrate today's standards: high-density foam, modern fixings, more uniform finishes. On flagship pieces such as the Saarinen Tulip or the Eames LCW the visual gap is small but documented, identified by maker's marks and period spec sheets. Vintage value rewards production authenticity, traceability and patina.
How do I authenticate a 1950s Eames LCW or DCW?
Three things to cross-check. First the maker's mark: Herman Miller for the US market, Vitra for Europe from 1957, Evans Plywood for the earliest 1946-1949 production. Second the moulded plywood quality, the shell thickness, the rubber mounts that cushion the seat against the structure. Third the overall consistency: wood species, screws, signatures. Every LAPIERRE piece is documented with mark photos, cross-checked against available Herman Miller and Vitra archives, and shipped with a detailed condition report.
What are the 1950s pieces every collector should know?
Saarinen Tulip drawn in 1956 and produced by Knoll, Eames LCW and DCW from 1946, Bertoia Diamond Chair 1952, Wegner Wishbone CH24 1949, Florence Knoll lounge 1954, Barcelona Chair Mies van der Rohe re-edited by Knoll in 1948, Womb Chair Saarinen 1948. In France, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé deliver the first ski refuges and Cité Cansado. In Brazil, Sergio Rodrigues develops the Mole sofa. These pieces define the formal vocabulary of a generation.
What does a 1950s vintage piece cost at LAPIERRE?
Ranges vary with rarity and condition. A period Wegner CH24 sits, depending on wood and weave, between several hundred and several thousand euros. A Knoll Barcelona Chair in original leather sits well above a recent re-edition. A first-generation Knoll Saarinen Tulip retains a stable rating. Each LAPIERRE listing documents the publisher, estimated year, marks, condition and any restoration. Prices reflect documented market value and are never set as bait.
Are 1950s pieces still comfortable for daily use?
Yes for most structuring pieces. Eames Lounge Chair, Saarinen Womb, Wegner Papa Bear were designed for long daily use, with adapted suspensions and foams. Eames moulded shells, Bertoia Diamond and the Wishbone remain functional provided you replace tired rubber mounts and, on woven models, redo the weave. LAPIERRE always documents suspension condition and offers a refurbishing service for pieces that need it.
Why buy a period 1950s piece rather than a contemporary re-edition?
Three concrete reasons. First, use and heritage value. A well-restored period 1950s piece holds its rating over time, where a re-edition depreciates like new goods. Second, original build quality, often higher than current industrial standards on wood species and structures. Third, singularity. A seventy-year-old piece carries a concrete, traceable history that cannot be reproduced. That is what distinguishes a composed interior from a showroom one.