2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

BehindtheName

JOSEF FRANK

BorntoJewishparentsinAustriain1885,

Frankstudiedarchitectureandbeganhiscareer

designingresidentialhousingasa solutionto

Vienna’sgrowinghousingcrisis.Thankstohis

shapely,minimalistbuildings,hewasbranded

anearlytrailblazerofAustria’smodernist

movement– buthewasalreadygrowingtired

ofwhathecalleda ‘soulless’approachto

construction,andsetuphisownrmin1925,

designinghouses,furnitureand fabrics with

warmthandpersonality.

DuetothegrowingfascistthreatinAustria,

FrankwasforcedtoeeVienna,seekingrefuge

inStockholmin1933.Hewasanimmigrant:

poorandstrugglingtondworkina newcity.

Buthisstardidn’tstayhiddenforlong,andhe

wassoondiscoveredbyshopownerEstrid

Ericson,whoneededa newdesignertooverhaul

herbusiness,SvensktTenn.Underherguidance,

Frankbecameunstoppable.Hecreateda wealth

ofdesignsinspiredbylushbotanicalsthatgained

internationalrecognition,andllingthe– once

stark– shopoorwithcolourandpaern.Itwas

a lookthatcametotypifySwedishModernism.

Aertheoutbreakofwar,Frankwasforced

intoexileagain,thistimeeeingtoManhaan.

Whilethere,hetookinspirationfromthearray

ofmuseumsandhistoricbuildings.Heproduced

a vastcatalogueofdesignsthathegiedto

Ericsonforher50thbirthday,onceGermanyhad

surrenderedandhewassafetoreturntoSweden.

ItisthoughtthatonesuchdesignwasHawai,

which is still produced by Svenskt Tenn today.

c19 2 0

JosefFrankbegins

workingasanarchitect

in Vienna,designing

largeresidentialhousing

blocks and estates.

1925

Tiredof modernist

design,Frankstartshis

owncompany:Haus

undGarten.Hedesigns

furniture and interiors.

1933 - 4

Dueto antisemitism,

Frankandhiswifeleave

ViennaforSweden.

EstridEricsoninviteshim

to join Svenskt Tenn.

c194 3

FrankfleesSwedenduring

theSecondWorldWar.

Hemovesto NewYork,

wherehecreatesa huge

repertoire of prints.

1936

UnderEricson’sleadership,

Frankdesignshisfirsttextile

forSvensktTenn:TreÖari

SvartaHavet(ThreeIslands

in the Black Sea).

Timeline The design evolution of Josef Frank

ABOVEFrankand

Ericsonin theSvenskt

Tennstore.RIGHT

‘Frankbroughta sense

of warmthandhumanity

to themodernist

movementin Sweden,’

saysDennisNothdruft.

‘Whathadpreviously

beenfunctionalism

becamesomethingmuch

more eclectic and open.’

Gösta Glase; Lennart Nilsson; Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images; Pamono; Svenskt Tenn

ANTIQUES.NOW.

August 2019 Homes & Antiques 115