USA, c. 1935
copper, nickel-plated brass, frosted glass 
10 w × 10¾ d × 14 h in 
25 × 27 × 36 cm

Kurt Versen (1901-1997) was born in Sweden and studied at the Polytech School, Charlottenburg, Germany before moving to the United States in 1930. He established his own design and manufacturing firm, Kurt Versen Company, in 1932. As a designer, inventor and manufacturer, he was determined “to bring the importance of lighting and its economics into proper perspective,” His lamps were a favorite of architects and his work was included in MoMA‘s “Good Design” exhibitions. The Brooklyn Museum, MoMA, Cooper Hewit and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have included his lamps in their permanent collections.

Photo Courtesy: The Museum of Modern Art (1952) November 27, 1951–January 27