Bertha Schaefer (1895-1971) was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. She obtained a B.A. from Mississippi State College for Women and a diploma in interior decorating from the Parsons School of Design.
In 1924 she opened Bertha Schaefer Interiors where she worked to incorporate fine arts and architecture with interior design. In 1944 she opened the Bertha Schaefer Gallery of Contemporary Art. Her firm and gallery featured American and European painting and sculpture and was instrumental in launching the careers of many artists and designers.
Her exhibitions often included economical designs that were well-crafted and beautiful and were suited to postwar mass production. In particular, she promoted lighting fixtures, and as early as 1939 was using decorative fluorescent lighting. Her firms work included interior and furniture design for private homes, apartments, hotel lobbies and restaurants. In 1954 she designed a model bathroom for General Electric.
Schaefer's designs caught the attention of Joe Singer of M. Singer and Sons Furniture Company of New York City. She designed furniture for that company from 1950 to 1961, often working with Gio Ponti.
Her professional accomplishments and academic contributions brought her invitations to participate in many round-table discussions and design juries sponsored by museums and universities. She won design awards from the Museum of Modern Art (1952) and the Decorators Club of New York (1959). She was also a member of the American Institute of Decorators, the Home Lighting Forum, the Illuminating Engineers Society, the Architectural League of New York, the American Federation of the Arts and the Art Dealers Association of America.
From jwa.org
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Dining set, with Gio Ponti
mutualart.com |
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Upholstered armchairs
dualmodern.com |
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Desk
mondocane.com |
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Coffee table
wright20.com |
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Coffee table
wright20.com |
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Sideboard
1stdibs.com |
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Sofa we just won at auction
It was sold as a Schaefer piece, but we're not sure. |
