Grete Jalk model 128 lounge chair France & Son Denmark 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Grete Jalk (Designer),France & Søn (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 31.11 in (79 cm)Depth: 29.93 in (76 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. This well-crafted lounge chair is in excellent condition; newly upholstered and the wood is refinished with a high quality UV and water protective lacquer with preservation of authenticity.
- Seller Location:Etten-Leur, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5196235494132
Grete Jalk
What would the reputation of mid-century Danish furniture be without legendary female designer Grete Jalk? A pioneer of Scandinavian modernism, Jalk sought to craft furniture that was both cost-efficient and high in quality, each piece made for the evolving interiors and design sensibilities of the day. She continues to be celebrated for her sleek and minimal armchairs, lounge chairs, coffee tables and more.
Jalk was born in 1920 in Copenhagen. She studied at the Drawing and Applied Art School for Women before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where famed designer Kaare Klint was among her instructors. Jalk completed her studies in 1946 and began a cabinetmaker apprenticeship. That same year, she won an award at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild competition. Jalk also participated in the 1951 Milan Triennial exhibition, where her designs earned more acclaim and attention.
In 1954, Jalk opened her own design studio and began working with major Danish furniture manufacturers like Fritz Hansen and Glostrup Møbelfabrik. She found inspiration in plywood experiments carried out by Alvar Aalto and Ray and Charles Eames, and she quickly became known for her pared-back, expressive designs, which touted fluid forms and were made of alluring woods such as teak and rosewood.
Jalk’s best-known work is the 1963 GJ chair, a collaboration with cabinetmaker Poul Jeppesen that won first place in the Daily Mail International Furniture Competition. Made of two pieces of molded teak plywood, the sculptural GJ lounge chair is part of the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While creating her iconic furniture designs, Jalk wore many other hats. She taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as an editor of the Danish design magazine Mobilia from 1956–62 and 1968–74. In 1974, Jalk curated a traveling design exhibition for the Danish Foreign Ministry and was named a member of the Danish Design Council in 1981. She was also the editor of 40 Years of Danish Furniture Design: The Copenhagen Cabinet-makers' Guild Exhibitions 1927–1966, published in 1987.
Jalk passed away in 2006 at the age of 86. In 2008, Danish furniture manufacturer Lange Production was granted exclusive rights to reproduce the GJ chair, a design as fresh and original today as ever.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Grete Jalk seating, tables and storage pieces.
France & Søn
Danish manufacturer France & Søn is best known for its prolific output of elegant mid-century modern furnishings in teak and leather, yet its multinational beginnings took shape during the 1930s.
After businessman Charles William Fearnley France (1897–1972) moved from his native England to Denmark in 1936, he began to operate a small mattress factory alongside his friend Eric Daverkosen, a Danish cabinetmaker, under the name France & Daverkosen. Shortly afterward, Daverkosen passed away, and when Denmark was invaded during the Second World War, Charles was captured and sent to a prison camp in Germany. When he was released, the British entrepreneur set out to produce furniture in the early 1950s, setting up a shop in Hillerød to manufacture the kind of sleek beech and teak goods that were gaining widespread acclaim around the world. In 1957, France’s son James joined the business, and the company changed its name to reflect the addition.
Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, France & Søn produced a stunning array — and staggering quantity — of designs, with elegant modernist lounge chairs and armchairs, teak and rosewood dining tables and other furnishings by the likes of Finn Juhl, Grete Valk, Ole Wanscher, Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen all gracing its catalogues.
Even as there was a focus on mass production at France & Søn — and the brand doesn’t quite enjoy the same renown as fellow mid-century Danish furniture makers such as Carl Hansen & Søn — Charles France believed in making quality furniture, and the company’s offerings evoke the warmth of the handcrafted work that is typically associated with Scandinavian modernism.
In the 1960s, the company was bought by Danish designer Poul Cadovius, who folded it into the operations at CADO, a company he founded during the 1950s. Surviving examples of early work from the brand as well as modern icons by the likes of Verner Panton that followed in later years continue to be in demand.
Find a collection of France & Søn furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Roosendaal, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Inger Klingenberg Model 193 Dining Chairs France & Son Denmark, 1960By France & Søn, Inger KlingenbergLocated in Etten-Leur, NLFantastic set of four dining chairs model 193 designed by Inger Klingenberg and manufactured by France & Søn, Denmark 1960. The chairs feature a striking scu...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Yngve Ekström Circle Lounge Chair Swedese, Sweden, 1960By Swedese, Yngve EkströmLocated in Etten-Leur, NLBeautiful sculptural lounge chair model Circle designed by Yngve Ekström for Swedese, Sweden 1960. It has a wide elliptical seat and elegantly curved spindled backrest on four taperi...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Finn Juhl Jupiter sofa brown leather France & Son Denmark 1965By Finn Juhl, France & SønLocated in Etten-Leur, NLBeautiful shaped 3-seat Jupiter sofa model 218 designed by Finn Juhl for France & Son, Denmark 1965. The sofa is executed in chocolate brown leather suppo...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Illum Wikkelso Genius lounge chairs CFC Silkeborg Denmark, 1960By CFC Silkeborg, Illum WikkelsøLocated in Etten-Leur, NLSuperb shaped pair of “Genius” lounge chairs designed by Illum Wikkelsø and manufactured by CFC Silkeborg, Denmark 1960. These elegant chairs have a beautiful open character. The cyl...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Helge Sibast model 422 dining chairs in rosewood Denmark 1960By Helge Sibast, SibastLocated in Etten-Leur, NLBeautiful shaped set of six dining chairs model 422 designed by Helge Sibast for Sibast Mobler, Denmark 1960. These well-crafted chairs are made of solid rosewood and the seats are u...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Rosewood
- Scandinavian Nanna Ditzel style lounge chairs elm and wool Denmark 1960By Nanna DitzelLocated in Etten-Leur, NLBeautiful pair of Scandinavian lounge chairs in the style of Nanna Ditzel, Denmark 1960. It´s shape is very close to the nursing chair by Nanna Ditzel. The curved shell is profession...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Grete Jalk Lounge Chairs for France & Son Model 128By France & Søn, Grete JalkLocated in San Francisco, CAGrete Jalk design lounge chairs, Model 128 for France & Son Denmark. Beautiful design lounge chairs with curved arms and an attractive double splat back. Refinished teak wood frames ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Grete Jalk Model-128 Teak & Boucle Lounge Chair for France & SønBy France & Søn, Grete JalkLocated in Los Angeles, CATransforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precision. With over 17 years of artisanal exper...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Teak
- Model 118 Chair by Grete Jalk for France and Sons with Ottoman, Denmark, 1960sBy Grete JalkLocated in Deland, FLEasy chair model 118 with ottoman by Grete Jalk and manufactured by France & Son in the 1960's paired with a complementary ottoman both in teak and featuring new tweed upholstery in ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsTeak
- Grete Jalk Model-128 Cognac Leather & Teak 3-Seater Sofa for France & SønBy France & Søn, Grete JalkLocated in Los Angeles, CAGrete Jalk Model-128 Cognac Leather & Teak 3-Seater Sofa for France & Søn ________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like brin...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Mid Century Danish Grete Jalk Model 128/3 Teak Sofa For France & SonBy Grete JalkLocated in Shepperton, SurreyA Danish design classic from Grete Jalk. A solid Teak frame sofa that is full of sculptural appeal and wonderful attention to detail. We took some images of the frame without the cus...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsTeak
- Purple Grete Jalk Teak Lounge Chair for France and SonBy Grete Jalk, France & SønLocated in Phoenix, AZHere is the France and Son Model 118 in teak by designer Grete Jalk. This 1950s/60s Danish lounge chair is refinished and has brand new upholstery. The frame is solid teak, and was...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTeak