Description

This is a spectacular Model 20/59 folding dining table designed circa 1955 by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard for France & Søn. Made from solid teak with two-fold-down leaves, brass ball hinges and a gate leg frame. Look closely at the sublime, sculptural shaping of the legs. Stamped with makers mark, this stunning piece of furniture can sit as a console table when the leaves are folded down.

Hvidt & Mølgaard was a Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm which existed from 1944 until 2009. Founded by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, the company was a pioneering force in Danish furniture design.

In 1944, the pair co-established Hvidt & Mølgaard Studio, which they ran together until 1975. During this time, the pair created designs for Fritz Hansen, France & Søn, and Søborg Møbelfabrik. Like many designers of the mid-century period, they also incorporated leather in their designs, as well as teak and cane, and created modular units such as bookcases and living room sets.

France & Søn—and its predecessor, France & Daverkosen—are among the most sought after names on the vintage market today. Numerous pieces that are still in circulation retain their original identifying labels and were designed by major midcentury Danish designers, like Hvidt & Mølgaard, Grete Jalk, Finn Juhl, Arne Vodder, and Ole Wanscher. It’s surprising, then, that so little information about the company’s history and evolution has survived.

Most sources agree that the popular Danish manufacturing firm was founded in Denmark around 1948 by British businessman Charles W. France and Danish cabinetmaker Eric Daverkosen. In 1957, when France’s son Julian France joined the company, the name was changed to France & Søn. Many models produced by France & Daverkosen had been named FD followed by the model number, and France & Søn continued to produce those designs under their original names while introducing new collections every year. As to what happened to Daverkosen or the reason he left the partnership, no information seems to be available. Sometime between 1964 and 1967, Danish designer-manufacturer Poul Cadovius purchased France & Søn and renamed it CADO.

Table Dimensions : H72 x D142 x W163cm