Esoteric Survey

Claire Falkenstein wallpaper. 

There was a recent post on LACMA's blog "Unframed" that   includes this Luther Conover chair, videos of John Kapel and  Kay Sekimachi, and information on Sam Maloof. The author of the post bought the Conover chair for $80! Check it out: What Is It About Chairs? 

Sori Yanagi dies at 96 More here: LA Times

Arcosanti, December 24th and 25th






Ceramic Studio, front
Ceramic Studio, back



The Sky Suite
Christmas morning sunrise
Bell chambers as room decorations
Arcosanti Cafe Nobody was there, so it was operating on the honor system.
Special assembly bell in the Cafe
Rebar Christmas tree at the cafe
Learn more about Arcosanti and Paolo Soleri here: www.arcosanti.org

Ellamarie and Jackson Woolley "Reflective Sun" at the Mingei International Museum Leave it to Hampton to uncover this one deep inside storage at the San Diego Civic Center.   He wrote about too. Check it out on Culture Lust
San Diego Civic Theater, ca. 1964.  Photo: Courtesy of the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture via Culture Lust

Rapson Inc., Boston Ralph Rapson, Harry Bertoia, Eames Alan Gould, Paul Laszlo Pacific Iron, Knoll 
Rapson Inc., Boston Alvin Lustig
Armin Richter, La Jolla Irving Szabo, Alvar Aalto, Eames, Laverne, Bruno Mathsson
Design Center, San Diego Luther Conover, Greta Grossman, Modern Color, Knoll, Van Keppel Green, Eames
Maurice Martine, South Laguna

Alexander Girard's Fisher Road home/studio, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1940s 
Alexander Girard's Kercheval Place studio, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1940s Alexander Girard, Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Knoll, Ray Komai 
Alexander Girard's Kercheval Place studio, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1940s  Maurice Martine, Eames, Bill Lam, William Armbuster, Tony Paul,

Alexander Girard's Kercheval Place studio, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1940s  Girard table, Don Knorr
Alexander Girard's Kercheval Place studio, Grosse Point, Michigan, 1940s 
Photos: ALEXANDER GIRARDby Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee This is a great book.

Bad Inco redo- Through the window of a shop on Abbot Kinney in Venice

I might be OK with x mas if it had anything to do with this table.

Greta Grossman, Glenn of California. Sold for $10,000 Photo: Wright
Greta Grossman double cobra lamp, Ralph O Smith. Sold for $12,500 It seems like the table would be worth more? Photo: Wright

Wacky switch. Photo: Wright

Isamu Noguchi, 1946 Chair Prototype, Sold for $182,500 Not a bad investment since it sold at Christie's for $72,500 in 2007  Photo: Sotheby's
In 1946 William A.M. Burden hired Noguchi to design chairs and a table to be used in his house in Maine, byarchitect Wallace K Harrison.  Burden went went with Eames DCMs instead.  I'm all about Eames, but they wouldn't be my choice with this table. The Burden house burned to a crisp in 1999 and the only reason this chair is still around is because  it was stashed away in storage. I've seen this chair in person and these pictures don't do it justice.   I can't believe the guy who owned it actually let it go.  I guess the $100k profit makes it a little easier to part with.  Photo: Sotheby's

Photo: NY Times
The Burden house was rebuilt in 2006 Photo: NY Times

Wright has a great collection of 1951 MoMA Lamp Competition winners at their December 15th Auction. Heifetz produced 10 of the 15 winners and Wright has seven of them at the sale- not bad. This is the Joseph Burnett reflector lamp.  It won first prize. Photo: Wright
Robert Gage T-6-G model, honorable mention. They have three of these for sale.  Photo: Wright
I want that tag! Photo: Wright
A.W. and Marion Geller, honorable mention Photo: Wright
Zahara Schatz, mention Photo: Wright
James Harvey Crate T-C-3, third prize Photo: Wright

Gilbert A. Watrous, special prize Photo: Wright
John van Zwienen T-7-V, mention Photo: Wright
One of the ones not at Wright Anthony Ingolia, second prize Photo: Interiors
Another missing model Lester Geis, honorable mention