JOHN VAN KOERT (1912 - 1998) was a prominent New York designer who helped promote the fascination with Danish modern furnishings in the 1950’s.

Van Koert designed silverware and furniture that helped to introduce modernist shapes. Born in Manitoba, Canada, he later moved to Milwaukee, where he studied at the University of Wisconsin to be a painter and sculptor and taught design in the art department. After World War II, he settled in New York as a jewelry designer for Harry Winston and branched out into industrial design.

In 1954, he was exhibition director of “Design in Scandinavia”, a show that traveled for three years to venues including the Brooklyn Museum of Art and helped introduce Scandinavian modern design to Americans. His collaboration with Drexel Furniture produced timeless pieces, such as those a part of the “Profile” collection, known for their sleek lines and distinctive details.

(Source: The New York Times)