Esoteric Survey

 I'm pretty sure this stool is by Dan Johnson. I have proof, sort of.  I did learn a new word, sella curulis. People on instagram flipped over this watering can. My favorite knock off Tackett canisters and some little Danish teak things.

As mentioned previously, I picked up a stack of photos last weekend. Ilyana was a dress shop located in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Paul R. Williams was working on a major renovation of the hotel at the time.  Seeing the Dan Johnson chair really piqued my interest.  The way the arms connect to the top of the seat is slightly different than the one pictured in the shop. The ad is a couple years later than the shop photo so Johnson must have decided on the connected top arms.  After some digging I discovered the entire shop was designed in 1947-1948, by a 29 year old Dan Johnson. That means all the furniture was most likely designed by Johnson as well. The textile on the wall is by Angelo Testa.  My friend John has the same table. He's had it for years and has never been able to figure it out, but Johnson was definitely on the list. It was painted orange when he acquired it. The time period was when Johnson was designing f...

Dan Johnson chairs and Nelson Thin Edge dresser for Herman Miller Ceramic Mirror Ettore Sottsass containers, Dansk and iron

The Cotton House by Philmer J. Ellerbroek.  The chairs and table were designed by Dan Johnson. Source:  Maynard L. Parker, photographer. Courtesy of The Huntington Library Ad from 1951 showing the Dan Johnson-designed chair.  Source: LA Times, 1951 leslie's, which was located in the Wilshire Center/Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, advertised a variety of Johnson's early pieces. Many were designed exclusively for leslie's.  Source: LA Times, 1951 1954 ad in a trade magazine with the best name, Metal Furniture. It's introducing a new lounge chair, by Selig. There is no mention of the designer. This is where things start to get dicey. This is obviously the 1951 Dan Johnson chair with wood arms instead of brass ball caps. Selig also didn't credit him in their own advertising. Source: Andy Hackman (A legend in California Modern) Recently, some people have been claiming that Lawrence Peabody designed the chair for Selig....

John Massey for Herman Miller and Van Keppel Green Dan Johnson chair from 1951 Sol Bloom, probably A nice book pile Doyle Lane unglazed

Milo Baughman for Pacific Iron Products This is my favorite Pacific Iron chair design. I also picked up this Milo Baughman for Pacific Iron Products table.Great timing. Dan Johnson for Hayden Hall Iron tables Ephemera, including a Saul Bass Bell Systems logo belt buckle. 

JF Chen Collection at Christie's Joel was born in Shanghai, grew up in colonial Hong Kong, went to school in Great Britain and then moved to Los Angeles for college. It was in Los Angeles where he stumbled into the antique business. Here we are 40 years later and he is at the top of the trade. He currently has three galleries filled to the gills will the best design around. He's actually a really nice guy too. Joel has a lot of chairs. I was at his shop after Christie's left with their 300 lots. They didn't even make a dent! Dan Johnson This is a very uncommon version of the cobra lamp by Greta Grossman. It was produced by Middletown Manufacturing Co. in New York, versus the usual west coast Ralph O. Smith. The brushed brass might be something they could only handle in the blingy east coast. Lester Geis T-5-G Table Lamp for Heifetz Joel has nice stuff at home too, like his second Geis lamp. The online sale is February 7-14 and th...