Knoll au Louvre | Exhibition catalog (more information below)
Harry Bertoia’s 1950s chair design for Knoll Associates
Knoll logotype
Eero Saarinen | Architect & furniture designer
Eero Saarinen furniture collection (pedestal collection not shown)
Knoll textiles
Knoll graphics
Knoll au Louvre
Catalog of the Exhibition held at Pavillon de Marsan
Musée des Arts Décoratifs 107, rue de Rivoli, Paris
January 12 to March 12, 1972
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Catalog design: Massimo Vignelli
Color Photography: Herbert Matter
Exhibition design: Lella and Massimo Vignelli
©1971, Knoll International, Inc.
Printed in Italy
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This past spring I purchased this exquisite 1970s catalog from the archives of a public library in Colorado. Needless to say, when it arrived in the mail I was quite pleased. Between the striking bold design by the legendary Massimo Vignelli, the photography by equally heroic Herbert Matter, the iconic graphics also by Matter, the oversize format (11½” x 11½”) plus the amazing content, this hardback catalog/book is a real beauty.
The catalog includes an extensive history of Knoll International, founded by German-born Hans Knoll who was a member of a prominent furniture-making company. His father Walter C. Knoll served as a pioneer in modern furniture-making in pre-Hitler Germany. There Mr. Knoll senior produced early Mies van der Rohe designs in his Stuttgart factory. The younger Knoll was strongly influenced by Bauhaus, the seed for the later development of Knoll International. Disenchanted with Europe, Hans Knoll left Europe in 1937 bound for the United States where to make his fortune, paralleling many Bauhaus principals. Knoll International was shaped by Hans and his wife Florence. When Hans was tragically killed in 1955, Florence Knoll—a remarkable architect and furniture designer in her own right—headed the company until 1965 when she retired to private life.
In addition to profiling Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll Bassett and their work, this 1972 catalog also provides profiles on furniture designers Eero Saarinen (a personal favorite), Marcel Breuer, Harry Bertoia, Hans Wegner, Don Albinson, Sebastian Matta, Kazuhide Takahama, Warren Platner, Richard Schultz, Tobia Scarpa, William Stephens, Max Pearson, Charles Pollock, Andrew Ivar Morrison and Bruce R. Hannah. History and a synopsis of the Knoll textiles and graphics plus The Knoll International Showroom are also included in this catalog.
For further reading:
>> Knoll Timeline – Knoll website
>> The Story of Knoll International – Suite 101
>> Massimo and Lella Vignelli – AIGA 1982 Medal
>> The Visual Language of Herbert Matter – 2010 Documentary Film
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Last but not least, I highly recommend this fantastic interview recently conducted with Lella and Massimo Vignelli (Vignelli Associated) by the fine folks at idsgn as part of their ongoing Design Love series. idsgn is a rich new design blog brimming with top notch content, a frequent read of mine.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Knoll’s brand has always been very strong and consistent. Their graphics and supporting material is still impeccable!
Hi Manuel, thanks for the comment! And yes, I very much agree. The Knoll brand continues to be tight.
Hi Amy! Thanks for sharing this beauty. Just this morning I saw that they are running a series of articles about the Vignellis on the Design Observer… if you haven’t already, check it out! All the best,
Laura