Finn Juhl FJ40 Desk by Niels Vodder

Finn Juhl designed this desk very early in 1940 making it the earliest piece that was widely available during his lifetime. It is a curious, almost overlooked, part of his work. His designs up until the 1945 lounge chair (FJ45) are either of great interest and extraordinarily rare, like 1944's Bone Chair, or of scholarly interest only, known from photos and drawings. This 1940 petite writing desk is the exception that proves the rule.

How did this come to pass? In Denmark a cabinetmaker sold direct to his customers while by contrast a factory sold to a retail middleman who then sold to customers. (The difference that was marketed back then between handwork vs machine work was always exaggerated and, inasmuch as it was ever true, it was only a secondary effect of the different economic models). Sometimes cabinetmakers grew into factories and the defining moment was when they could produce affordably enough to sell to a middleman retailer and still have their furniture affordable enough for the retail buyer. For Niels Vodder this happened some time in the mid 1950s and his first retailer was Illums Bolighus. Throughout the 1960s Illums advertised the FJ40 desk in their catalog. It is likely that Illums was the exclusive retailer (aside from Niels Vodder himself). Illums was Copenhagen's most important, and thereby Denmark's most important, pure retailer of furniture. (Den Permanente is often mentioned with Illums but it was a cabinetmaker's collective that functioned on a tiny commission creating entirely different economics which destined it to fail unlike the age old retailer model). Illums had a significant customer base with foreign "design tourists" who came to see and buy the best of the best. So the answer is that Illums believed in the FJ40 desk, picking it out of near certain obscurity sometime around 1956. They could advertise Finn Juhl but get leverage that did not usually come with his name to get the piece unmarked and an exclusive. It has always been a piece that fills a specialized role with beauty and elegance.

This specimen is from 1964-1965 and was part of a large estate bought at Illums and brought home to the USA.

Designer: Finn Juhl
Maker: Niels Vodder
Model Name: FJ40
Year of Design: 1940
Year Made: 1964 - 1965
Original Retailer: Illums Bolighus
Price: on asking