Borge Mogensen

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Born in Denmark in 1914, Borge Mogensenprevious generations had about furniture and turn
became qualified as a cabinetmaker at the age ofthem into reality. He respected the materials he
20. He, like many of the other furniture designersworked with, and functional tradition in creating
from Denmark, studied at the Copenhagen Schoolthe furniture made him very aware of how the
of Arts and Crafts and then at the Furnitureitems were put together. He used old designs and
School of the Academy of Fine Arts from 1938built his furniture based on those designs and the
to 1942. At the time Kaare Klint was thetraining and subsequent experience he gained over
professor of the Furniture School whose ownthe years to improve them and make it brand
influence on Danish furniture is still felt today.new once again.
Borge Mogensen was viewed by Kaare Klint as anSome of those old designs that Borge Mogensen
extraordinary talent with valued skills. Hisimproved upon came from his instructor’s
closeness with Kaare Klint led to a cooperationlove of Shaker furniture that was designed and
between the two men that allowed Borgedeveloped in the United States. There is
Mogensen to open up his own design studio inspeculation among the design community today
1950.that the many of Borge Mogensen’s
Within five years of establishing and working hischairs were based on the Shaker design
own design studio, Borge Mogensen was able toprototypes. For example, Borge
design furniture for well known producers. KarlMogensen’s ‘J39’ chair had
Andersson & Soner, P. Lauritzen & Son,a wooden, four-legged, single slat back design
and Fredericia Furniture all manufactured designssimilar to the ‘low ladder back’
that came from the mind of Borge Mogensen.chairs of the Shakers. His ‘trestle
The Fredericia contract turned out to be thetable’ that matched the chairs is
most fruitful partnership of his career and he wasconsidered a ‘redefined Shaker
allowed to explore every aspect of his ownclassic’. Borge Mogensen worked with the
comprehensive design skills. Andreas GraversenDanish Cooperative Wholesale Society at the
was the owner of Fredericia at the time and hetime, helping them develop attractive yet simple
was able to keep up with Borgedesign furniture that was good for everyday use.
Mogensen’s thoroughness and quality in hisWhat made Borge Mogensen’s designs so
designs.well accepted was his ability to incorporate a
Borge Mogensen passed away in 1972 and he isvariety of different design styles into his furniture,
still considered Denmark’s ‘Grandkeeping them free for the modernist influence
Old Man’. His experience as aand attractive to customers from all walks of life.
cabinetmaker helped him in his designs and for