Art Deco industrial designer Walter von Nessen is best known for his glamorous Machine Age lighting designs and for his invention of the swing-arm lamp. Von Nessen was born in Germany, where he studied under Bruno Paul at Berlin’s Kunstgewerbeschule. After World War I, he worked for the architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin. He left in 1919 for Stockholm, where he designed furniture until emigrating with his wife, Margaretta, to the United States in 1923. In 1927, the couple opened Nessen Studios in Manhattan, designing and selling sleek, modern architectural lighting.
Art Deco was both novel and exciting in the late 1920s — as, indeed, was electricity itself — and Nessen Studios was at the forefront of the movement. Electric lighting designers at the time had no direct models to follow. The shapes and silhouettes of gas lamps, lanterns and chandeliers had been influenced by those of the kerosene-, oil- and candle-lit fixtures that preceded them, which in turn were informed by the fuels they used. Electric lighting required designs that accommodated essentials of the new technology, like cords and sockets. Von Nessen and his contemporaries thus had to create fixtures that addressed these challenges and looked modern without appearing overly mechanical.
Along with industrial-design visionaries of the period like Raymond Loewy, Gilbert Rohde and Donald Deskey, von Nessen crafted a style that was emblematic of the Machine Age. He produced lamps and home accessories from spun aluminum, with smooth surfaces that evoked the polished gleam of streamlined automobiles and airplanes. And he experimented with other popular materials of the era, such as Bakelite, chrome and fiberglass. His ingenious design for the now-ubiquitous swing-arm lamp earned him a reputation as an innovator.
Von Nessen’s work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, among other institutions. Designed to complement the luxurious interiors of the 1920s and ‘30s, still look fresh nearly a century later.
Chrome Lamp with Burlap Shade by Nessen Lighting
By Nessen Studio, Nessen Lighting, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chrome lamp with burlap shade by Nessen Lighting. Dimensions listed (14 in. diameter x 22 in. tall) are the overall dimensions of the lamp with the shade.
Steel, Chrome
Early Walter Von Nessen Swing Arm Wall and Table Lamp in Brushed aluminum
By Nessen Lighting, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early examples . Classic and seldom seen Walter Von Nessen Swing Arm Wall (sconce) and matching Table Lamp in Brushed aluminum,, Both retain original lamp shades ,with white metal di...
Metal, Aluminum
$140Sale Price / set|20% Off
Rare Art Deco Set of Sugar and Creamer Designed by Walter Von Nessen
By Manning Bowman, Walter Von Nessen
Located in San Diego, CA
A rare set of chrome sugar and creamer, with bakelite, handles designed by Walter Von Nessen, for Manning Bowman in very good condition, circa 1930s.
Chrome
Walter von Nessen “Cat” Doorstop in Copper and Brass
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Miami, FL
A sculptural Art Deco “Cat” doorstop/object by Walter von Nessen for the Chase Brass & Copper Company. Crafted in copper and brass, the sleek feline form captures the elegance a...
Brass, Copper
Antique Art Deco Taurex Chrome Candlestick Holders Walter Von Nessen for Chase
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Detroit, MI
Set of four "Taurex" candlestick holders by German designer Walter Von Nessen (1889-1943) for the Chase Brass & Copper Company circa 1935. With sleek, geometric lines they exempl...
Metal, Chrome
Walter von Nessen “Cat” Doorstop in Copper and Brass
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Miami, FL
A sculptural Art Deco “Cat” doorstop designed by Walter von Nessen for the Chase Brass & Copper Company. Crafted in copper and brass, it's feline form has a sleek, understated p...
Brass, Copper
Pair of Brushed Stainless Steel Wall Scones by Walter Von Nessen
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Palm Springs, CA
1970’s pair of brushed stainless steel wall sconces design by Walter Von Nessen for Nessen Studio. The stainless steel is n original condition, so it shows minor wear. They have a...
Stainless Steel
$673Sale Price|25% Off
WALTER VON NESSEN 1930 For Chase Lacquered Toy-Soldier Figure In Gilt Brass
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Miami, FL
Art deco figure designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Usa Co. This is a beautiful Streamline decorative desk figure created during the Art Deco period by Walter Von Nessen for the...
Brass, Enamel
Brushed Aluminum Art Deco Demilune Wall Sconces by Walter Von Nessen, Pair
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Buffalo, NY
Pair of brushed aluminum Art Deco wall sconces with polished accents designed by Walter Von Nessen. circa 1930s. Classic design.
Aluminum
Pair of Copper Candlestick Holders by Walter von Nessen for Chase
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of solid copper candle holders by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of Art Deco candle sticks feature geometric circles a...
Copper
Art Deco Table Lamp by Walter Von Nessen
By Kurt Versen, Kem Weber, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Chicago, IL
Fairly rare Art Deco Table Lamp by Walter Von Nessen uncertain if the parts were repainted at some point in time Ivory White. Or if this was factory painted this way. My hunch is t...
Metal
Art Deco Copper bowl Walter Von Nessen Studio
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Montreal, QC
Walter Von Nessen Studio, Art Deco copper bowl c. 1927, USA, hammered copper sheet metal, the exterior and interior bowl decorated with Nordic st...
Copper
Table Lamp in Siena Marble by Nessen Studios
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Stamford, CT
Timelessness and simplicity are parallels which when achieved, result in a design that is eternally attractive. Walter von Nessen was one of the great lighting designers of the Mid-C...
Marble, Siena Marble, Brass
Pair of Chrome Elephant Bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase USA
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chrome bookends by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The pair of bookends feature two chrome plated brass elephants with curved tubular bodies and geometric shaped h...
Brass, Chrome
Arabescato Marble & Nickel Table Accent Lamp by Nessen Studios
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Lighting
Located in Stamford, CT
Timelessness and simplicity are parallels which when achieved, result in a design that is eternally attractive. Walter von Nessen was one of the great lighting designers of the Mid-C...
Marble, Metal, Nickel
$480Sale Price|20% Off
signed nessen Studio Walter Von Nessen Brass Swing Arm Table Lamp
By Walter Von Nessen, Nessen Lighting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century Modernist Articulating Brass table lamp with makers tag. By Walter Von Nessen An iconic Mid-Century Modern design, this Brass Swing Arm Table Lamp by Walter Von Nessen f...
Brass
Toothpick Server by Russel Wright for Chase
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A polished silver sphere with multiple perforations for holding and dispensing toothpicks. Stamped "Chase USA".
Chrome, Steel
A pair of metal and copper Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen circa 1930s
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Houston, TX
A pair of Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen feature two concentric rings of metal and copper with three sphere accents on each. 5.25” H x 5” W x 2.5” D $450
Metal