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Collection by Kelsey Keith

Vintage Chair Posters Combine Pop Art and Danish Design

A trip to the Carl Hansen & Søn showroom in Copenhagen yields a surprising find: a vintage postage series depicting Danish modern chairs in all their fashion-friendly glory.

The story has it that someone from Carl Hansen & Søn spotted the vintage posters at one of the company's Danish dealers and then had them reprinted. The series available for purchase at Hansen's showroom in Copenhagen includes three pieces of seating now produced by the company: Mogens Koch's Folding Chair, Ole Wanscher's Colonial Chair, and Hans J. Wegner's Wishbone Chair. The minimalist posters were originally advertisements shot by photographer Paul Salomonsen; the rare series also originally included Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen as well as a Nanna Ditzel piece.

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The Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the Y Chair, marries a hand-woven seat and steam-bent frame. The chair, an undisputed modern icon, has been in continuous production since its introduction by Carl Hansen in 1950. Inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming chairs, this was the culmination of a series of chairs created in the ‘40s.
The Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the Y Chair, marries a hand-woven seat and steam-bent frame. The chair, an undisputed modern icon, has been in continuous production since its introduction by Carl Hansen in 1950. Inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming chairs, this was the culmination of a series of chairs created in the ‘40s.
The OW149, or Colonial, chair was designed by Ole Wanscher in 1949 as a riff on 18th-century English furniture design. The slender armrests curve up the back to support a leather cushion; the seat is supported by handwoven cane. (There's also a matching stool.)
The OW149, or Colonial, chair was designed by Ole Wanscher in 1949 as a riff on 18th-century English furniture design. The slender armrests curve up the back to support a leather cushion; the seat is supported by handwoven cane. (There's also a matching stool.)
With a prototype for the Folding Chair he launched in 1932, Danish designer Mogens Koch precipitated the modern movement of flexible furniture. It's easy to transport from the dining table to the patio, then folds up for easy storage with the help of mounted brass rings.
With a prototype for the Folding Chair he launched in 1932, Danish designer Mogens Koch precipitated the modern movement of flexible furniture. It's easy to transport from the dining table to the patio, then folds up for easy storage with the help of mounted brass rings.