He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Joe Colombo Boby Work Trolley, Plastic, Mid-Century Modern, 1971
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in bari, IT
An elegant and at the same time practical and useful work trolley, model Boby, this one designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast. Designed for ...
Plastic
Space Age White Plastic Vintage Storage Trolley Container Joe Colombo 1970 Italy
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage storage trolley container boy from plastic in white color by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast 1970s Italy. Iconic white vintage ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Boby Work Trolley, Plastic, Mid-Century Modern, 1971
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in bari, IT
An elegant and at the same time practical and useful work trolley, model Boby, this one designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast. Designed for ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Boby Trolley by Bieffeplast, Red Plastic, Italy, 1968
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Italian modern red plastic storage trolley Boby, on wheels, by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast in 1968. Iconic and very useful in all environ...
Plastic
Brown 'Boby' trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy 1970's
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. A very handy trolley made of ABS plastic. It has many storage options such as the fold-out shelves...
Plastic
Joe Colombo White Vintage Plastic Boby High Portable Storage Container, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
White vintage 3 high portable storage container designed by Joe Colombo in 1969, Italy and executed by Bieffeplast, Padova, Italy. The white Joe Colom...
Plastic
$1,127Sale Price|20% Off
Italian Boby 3 Portable Storage System by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, 1960’s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District
Created in 1969, Joe Colombo's renowned "Boby 3" portable storage system, manufactured by Italian company Bieffeplast, ingeniously maximizes space with its swivel design. This compac...
Plastic
$880
H 19.69 in W 14.97 in D 14.97 in
Italian Space Age Red Modular Chest of Drawers by Castelli for Kartell, 1970s
By Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Space Age Red plastic Modular chest of drawers by Anna Castelli for Kartell, 1970s Modular chest of drawers with square base and rounded corne...
Plastic
$4,437 / set
H 28.35 in W 37.41 in D 18.9 in
Set of Two "4D" Storage System Units by Mangiarotti for Molteni, Italy, 1960s
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Molteni & C
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two "4D" storage system units by Angelo Mangiarotti for Molteni. Totally built-in walnut with red marble base, these pieces are finished on all four sides, this allows to use...
Marble
$6,049
H 70.87 in W 75.6 in D 23.63 in
Space Age Vanity Table by Cabinetmaker MB Italy, White Lacquer, 1970
By MB Italy
Located in Valladolid, ES
One of a kind dressing table, space age style, 70s, with great influence of Art Deco aesthetics. In white lacquered wood, with a black marble effect fiberglass top. Large circular mirror in the upper part and the storage part is divided into two drawers on each side. With lighting in the upper and lower fin shapes. A piece of great sophistication and glamour, very difficult to find. It has a plate with the name of the Italian manufacturer DBM. The period known as the Space Age or Space Age was the post Atomic Age, that is, the late 50's and early 70's. It is part of the “stylings” that reigned in the US during the 20th century. The concept of an optimistic world based on a possible "Earth of Tomorrow" reigned by the dominance of atomic energy and space travel. This "Styling" is inspired by the North American space race, but above all, the aesthetics based on Science Fiction, space satellites, helmets, ships, the effect of weightlessness and a "cinematic" proposal of a new style. of life of the future. Movies like Barbarella 1968, James Bond, Space Odyssey 2001...
Lacquer, Wood, Fiberglass, Mirror
$526 / item
H 20.67 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley with 2 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$3,800 / set
H 28.35 in W 37.41 in D 18.9 in
Set of Two "4D" Storage System Units by Mangiarotti for Molteni, Italy, 1960s
By Molteni & C, Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two "4D" storage system units by Angelo Mangiarotti for Molteni. Totally built-in walnut with marble base, these pieces are finished on all four sides; this allows to use the...
Marble
$702 / item
H 28.94 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 2 Drawers in Red for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$5,000 / set
H 28.35 in W 37.41 in D 18.9 in
Set of Three "4D" Walnut Storage System by Mangiarotti for Molteni, Italy, 1960s
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Molteni & C
Located in Milan, IT
Set of three "4D" storage system units by Angelo Mangiarotti for Molteni. Totally built-in walnut these pieces are finished on all four sides; this allows to use them as side table...
Wood
$546 / item
H 20.67 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 3 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$694 / item
H 28.94 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 3 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$3,954 / item
+ 3 moreH 43 in W 31 in D 15 in
Customizable Color USM Haller Storage G118 Storage System
By Usm Haller, Fritz Haller, Paul Schaerer
Located in New York, NY
Offered by M2L. With two drop down doors and one extension drawer. Designed by Swiss architect Fritz Haller and Paul Schaerer in 1963. Made from powder coated steel and chrome-pla...
Chrome, Steel
$877 / item
H 37.21 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
$1,600
H 30.5 in W 47.5 in D 19 in
Vintage Broyhill Premier Yellow Molded Plastic Space Age Joe Colombo Style Desk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Broyhill Premier Yellow Molded Plastic Space Age Joe Colombo Style 3 Drawer Desk. Circa 1970s. Measurements: 30.5" H x 47.5" W x 19" D x Middle 2...
Plastic, Laminate
1970s Black Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1970s black plastic Boby Trolly cart by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast with 6 storage drawers. Made in Italy. Some small scuffs and dulling of the plastic. Si...
Plastic
Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast "Boby' Trolley, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Naples, IT
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. It is still in production (B-line) and has always been very popular. A very handy trolley made of ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo White Boby Trolley
By Joe Colombo
Located in Rochester, England
Originally developed by Joe Colombo in 1969, the Boby trolley has become a true design icon. Colombo was famous for combining practicality with forward t...
Plastic
Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast Red 'Boby' Trolley, Italy, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Naples, IT
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. It is still in production (B-line) and has always been very popular. A very handy trolley made of ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Black Boby Trolley
By Joe Colombo
Located in Rochester, England
Originally developed by Joe Colombo in 1969, the Boby trolley has become a true design icon. Colombo was famous for combining practicality with forward...
Plastic
Sold
H 29.14 in W 16.54 in D 16.93 in
Joe Colombo ''Boby 3'' Italian Portable Storage System for Bieffeplast, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Roma, IT
Designed in 1969, Joe Colombo’s iconic "Boby 3" portable storage system was produced by Italian manufacturer Bieffeplast makes savvy use of space with its swivel design. This compact caddy is featured in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but it’s perfect at home in domestic settings, offering ample storage with swing-out drawer trays provide and cubby holes for taller items. A one-of-a-kind piece that will complete a studio or a midcentury office. Measures (cm): height - 74 depth - 41 width - 43 Born in Milan in 1930, designer Cesare Colombo—who went by Joe—was the second of three brothers. His father, Giuseppe, was an industrialist who inherited a ribbon factory and turned it into an electrical conductor manufacturer. Colombo came to design relatively late, having spent most of his twenties pursuing painting and sculpture. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Brera, Milan, in the early 1950s. While there, he joined the Movimento Nucleare, an avant-garde art movement founded by Enrico Baj and Sergio Dangelo in 1951. Spurred on by international anxiety surrounding the nuclear bomb, this group of painters aimed to break free of the static boundaries of traditional painting. In 1953, Colombo made his first foray into design by creating a decorative ceiling for a Milan jazz club. In 1954, he made a series of television shrines for the Milan Trienniale. Inspired by these experiences, Colombo enrolled as an architecture student at Milan Polytechnic. When his father became ill in 1958, Colombo abandoned painting altogether; he and his younger brother, Gianni, took over the family business, using the factory as an experimental space for the latest production techniques and materials, including fiberglass, PVC, and polyethylene. In 1962, Colombo opened a design studio in Milan, from which he worked primarily on architectural commissions—including several ski lodges and mountain hotels—as well as product design. His furniture designs were characterized by optimistically bold, round forms, and he championed the notion of using modern technologies to create new design solutions. Colombo’s design career was cut tragically short in 1971 when he died of heart failure at age 41. However, he was remarkably prolific during his near decade as a designer. Notable projects include some of the most iconic designs of the 1960s, such as his 1963 Elda Armchair, made completely of fiberglass; the 1964 Ragno outdoor light, which doubled as a seat; the stackable Universale chair (1965/67), which came in varying heights and was created completely from polypropylene; his 1967 modular furniture series known as the Additional Living System, which was composed of different-size curved pieces that could be pinned together in various configurations to form chairs, sofas, or entire living areas, and which ultimately included the famous 1969 Tubo lounge chair; and the Optic alarm clock and Bobby trolley...
Plastic
'Boby' Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Naples, IT
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. It is still in production (B-line) and has always been very popular. A very handy trolley made of ...
Plastic
'Boby' Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Naples, IT
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. It is still in production (B-line) and has always been very popular. A very handy trolley made of ...
Plastic
'Boby' Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This “Boby” trolley or portable storage system was designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. It is still in production (B-line) and has always been very popular. A very handy trolley made of ...
Plastic
Sold
H 20.87 in W 16.93 in L 20.87 in
Vintage Italian 'Boby' Trolley Storage Unit by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Hitchin, England
A vintage Italian 'Boby' trolley storage unit by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast The Boby portable storage unit was designed by Joe Colombo and launched in 1970. Amongst many awards ...
Plastic
Sold
H 29.14 in W 16.54 in D 16.93 in
Joe Colombo ''Boby 3'' Portable Storage System Bieffeplast Padova, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Roma, IT
Designed in 1969, Joe Colombo’s iconic Boby 3 portable storage system by Italian manufacturer Bieffeplast makes savvy use of space with its swivel design. This ...
Plastic
Sold
H 20.87 in W 16.93 in D 15.75 in
Vintage Italian 'Boby' Trolley Storage Unit by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Hitchin, England
A Vintage Italian 'Boby' Trolley Storage Unit by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast The Boby portable storage unit was designed by Joe Colombo and launched in 1970. Amongst many awards ...
Plastic