KARL SPRINGER
Collectable Vintage Classic Mid-Century Furniture
LOS ANGELES SHOWROOM June 1982
Karl showing me several drawings of new items to review before having them put into work
For Other Pertinent Information visit:
www.karlspringerfurniture-facts.com
https://karlspringerltd-fact.com
KARL SPRINGER FURNITURE AUTHENTICATED || Catalog available
Vintage Authentic Karl Springer Designs are Valuable - Karl was involved in the design and manufacture
of each piece. New signed furniture - 30 years after Karl Springer's passing has nothing to do with Karl!
Collectors of Karl Springer furniture include the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Suzanne Pleshette,
Doris Duke. Jackie & Aristotle Onassis, Joni Mitchell, various Wildensteins, Luther Vandross, Gloria Estefan Andy Williams, Dinah Shore, Geoffrey Beene, Robin Roberts, Paige Rense Noland and Gunter Sachs, along with many others. Some are rich and famous, while other collectors are simply rich.
Do not purchase or sell a fake.......
I am surprised at the number of images of furniture shown as designed and manufactured by Karl Springer on all of the vintage furniture sites that are not actual pieces designed and manufactured by Karl Springer.
Karl Springer is one of the most copied designers, with many items shown on various sites that are not authentic...including many not even designed by Karl Springer.
Tom Langevin ~ I have Unique Knowledge & Expertise of standard, modified, custom and
"One-Of-A-Kind" pieces.
I have provided written authentication for major auction houses, private individuals, dealers of vintage and high-end furnishings and Karl Springer collectors. I have also provided appraisals for insurance purposes, divorce and estates.
Authentication: My review of each item is $60. (note - a set or pair of items is considered as one item)
The charge is for my time and expertise in order to ascertain whether the item is an authentic Karl Springer piece, designed and manufactured by Karl Springer, LTD..I do not open photos and review then until after I have received payment.
I have received many requests for the original "Brown" catalog from 1970.
A copy of the original Karl Springer 1970 brown catalog, which has 96 pieces shown, is available by Zip. The catalog measures 6” x 6.25”, resulting in 49 pages as I did not want to tear it apart for copying. The photographs and drawn images are in black and white. Several top dealers use this to identify items.
The price of a Zip copy of the small brown Karl Springer catalog is $35.
Catalog: Available for purchase is a 336 page, plus 25 sub-pages, color copy of the Karl Springer catalog which is described below.
Zip file - now available to email - $99
The Karl Springer catalog consists of 336 + pages, with over 380 different items shown.
The catalog was put together before the digital age, so for this reason, when the catalog was started
by Karl, the photographer and assistants would have to first set up an area in the showroom with a seamless
background, along with lighting and camera set up, followed by developing and printing. Several additions
were made in this manner, but became impractical when the warehousing moved from Manhattan to Long
Island City. Other additions were then made by simply taking photos in the warehouse, or in the NYC, Miami
and Los Angeles showrooms. Also included are eight pages from the exclusive store where Karl was represented in Tokyo,
with the descriptions in Japanese and the prices listed in Yen.
The paper copies are run on a color copier, including pages that were developed in gray/sepia tones, as Karl preferred
several images in those color tones, three-hole punched.
Price: Zip file by email - $99
Price: printed - 24lb laser paper - $295 plus shipping and handling
in the Continental U.S.A., by FedEx express saver $38
Review of items for Authentication and Zip or printed catalog copies are to be paid through PayPal or VENMO
Tom Langevin ~ I have Unique Knowledge & Expertise of standard, modified, custom and
"One-Of-A-Kind" pieces.
Karl Springer was my mentor and dear friend.
I worked for Karl from February of 1977 until his passing in December of 1991, necessitating my working between NYC and Los Angeles through mid 1993.
Since then I have been occupied in Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara with interior design
projects, including architectural re-design projects, along with designing furniture for a custom line.
With Karl, I worked with Interior Designers and Architects ~
Karl taught me the art of solving workshop problems and guiding artisans ~
As the Manager of design production and quality control I established west coast workshops ~
For the design of the 8900 Melrose Avenue showroom in West Hollywood, Karl, Joachim and I,
with input from John Rotondi, worked together on this project ~
John's brother is the modernist architect, Michael Rotondi. Karl had him design a new front,
but this was not built as Karl thought it might be too Avant-garde for our clients ~
Karl left the design of the Pacific Design Center showroom to me to design ~
I also re-designed the New York City showroom as Director of Design ~
During my first 5 years with Karl in New York City, I inspected each item before acceptance.
If there were any issues the piece went back to the workshop to be perfected.
In New York I worked alongside and under the tutelage of Karl, with every manufacture and
workshop for five years,including those in Paris, Mexico, the Philippines, and Italy.
In Los Angeles I expanded workshops on the west coast that expanded manufacturing
for the entire company.
After opening the Los Angeles showroom, I continued to review new designs with Karl
in both New York City and Los Angeles whenever Karl returned from a trip.
From Karl I learned the importance of quality craftsmanship and how they married together in pieces
that were combinations of several different materials that included: Metal - Goatskin - Woodworking -
Lacquer - Leather - Upholstery - Glass - Lucite - ETC. Every finished piece had to be perfection.
Karl did NOT EVER collaborate with ANYONE in the design of his furniture!
When Karl had a new piece being worked on at a workshop, he would have Joachim or me go
with him to give a critique. If he thought it valid, he would continue working on the piece.
He also took opinions from anyone who would go to a workshop with him, including the opinion
of the artisan. When Benjamin would drive him, Karl would also ask his opinion.
Benjamin had excelent taste and a good eye.
When a prototype was finished, it was then delivered to the showroom so Karl could study it to see if he wanted to leave it as is, or continue with his design process. If more design or finish changes were to be made, these completed pieces would be marked as "One-Of-A-Kind" and sold off of the showroom floor. Only after Karl was completely satisfied with a new design, would shop drawings be made.
Visit - other Pertinent information : Website: https://karlspringerltd-fact.com/index.html
Contact Information
Email: karl.springerfurniture@yahoo.com Mary Forssberg & Karl in Italy, near Florence
www.karlspringerfurniture-facts.com
https://karlspringerltd-fact.com
KARL SPRINGER FURNITURE AUTHENTICATED || Catalog available
Vintage Authentic Karl Springer Designs are Valuable - Karl was involved in the design and manufacture
of each piece. New signed furniture - 30 years after Karl Springer's passing has nothing to do with Karl!
Collectors of Karl Springer furniture include the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Suzanne Pleshette,
Doris Duke. Jackie & Aristotle Onassis, Joni Mitchell, various Wildensteins, Luther Vandross, Gloria Estefan Andy Williams, Dinah Shore, Geoffrey Beene, Robin Roberts, Paige Rense Noland and Gunter Sachs, along with many others. Some are rich and famous, while other collectors are simply rich.
Do not purchase or sell a fake.......
I am surprised at the number of images of furniture shown as designed and manufactured by Karl Springer on all of the vintage furniture sites that are not actual pieces designed and manufactured by Karl Springer.
Karl Springer is one of the most copied designers, with many items shown on various sites that are not authentic...including many not even designed by Karl Springer.
Tom Langevin ~ I have Unique Knowledge & Expertise of standard, modified, custom and
"One-Of-A-Kind" pieces.
I have provided written authentication for major auction houses, private individuals, dealers of vintage and high-end furnishings and Karl Springer collectors. I have also provided appraisals for insurance purposes, divorce and estates.
Authentication: My review of each item is $60. (note - a set or pair of items is considered as one item)
The charge is for my time and expertise in order to ascertain whether the item is an authentic Karl Springer piece, designed and manufactured by Karl Springer, LTD..I do not open photos and review then until after I have received payment.
I have received many requests for the original "Brown" catalog from 1970.
A copy of the original Karl Springer 1970 brown catalog, which has 96 pieces shown, is available by Zip. The catalog measures 6” x 6.25”, resulting in 49 pages as I did not want to tear it apart for copying. The photographs and drawn images are in black and white. Several top dealers use this to identify items.
The price of a Zip copy of the small brown Karl Springer catalog is $35.
Catalog: Available for purchase is a 336 page, plus 25 sub-pages, color copy of the Karl Springer catalog which is described below.
Zip file - now available to email - $99
The Karl Springer catalog consists of 336 + pages, with over 380 different items shown.
The catalog was put together before the digital age, so for this reason, when the catalog was started
by Karl, the photographer and assistants would have to first set up an area in the showroom with a seamless
background, along with lighting and camera set up, followed by developing and printing. Several additions
were made in this manner, but became impractical when the warehousing moved from Manhattan to Long
Island City. Other additions were then made by simply taking photos in the warehouse, or in the NYC, Miami
and Los Angeles showrooms. Also included are eight pages from the exclusive store where Karl was represented in Tokyo,
with the descriptions in Japanese and the prices listed in Yen.
The paper copies are run on a color copier, including pages that were developed in gray/sepia tones, as Karl preferred
several images in those color tones, three-hole punched.
Price: Zip file by email - $99
Price: printed - 24lb laser paper - $295 plus shipping and handling
in the Continental U.S.A., by FedEx express saver $38
Review of items for Authentication and Zip or printed catalog copies are to be paid through PayPal or VENMO
Tom Langevin ~ I have Unique Knowledge & Expertise of standard, modified, custom and
"One-Of-A-Kind" pieces.
Karl Springer was my mentor and dear friend.
I worked for Karl from February of 1977 until his passing in December of 1991, necessitating my working between NYC and Los Angeles through mid 1993.
Since then I have been occupied in Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara with interior design
projects, including architectural re-design projects, along with designing furniture for a custom line.
With Karl, I worked with Interior Designers and Architects ~
Karl taught me the art of solving workshop problems and guiding artisans ~
As the Manager of design production and quality control I established west coast workshops ~
For the design of the 8900 Melrose Avenue showroom in West Hollywood, Karl, Joachim and I,
with input from John Rotondi, worked together on this project ~
John's brother is the modernist architect, Michael Rotondi. Karl had him design a new front,
but this was not built as Karl thought it might be too Avant-garde for our clients ~
Karl left the design of the Pacific Design Center showroom to me to design ~
I also re-designed the New York City showroom as Director of Design ~
During my first 5 years with Karl in New York City, I inspected each item before acceptance.
If there were any issues the piece went back to the workshop to be perfected.
In New York I worked alongside and under the tutelage of Karl, with every manufacture and
workshop for five years,including those in Paris, Mexico, the Philippines, and Italy.
In Los Angeles I expanded workshops on the west coast that expanded manufacturing
for the entire company.
After opening the Los Angeles showroom, I continued to review new designs with Karl
in both New York City and Los Angeles whenever Karl returned from a trip.
From Karl I learned the importance of quality craftsmanship and how they married together in pieces
that were combinations of several different materials that included: Metal - Goatskin - Woodworking -
Lacquer - Leather - Upholstery - Glass - Lucite - ETC. Every finished piece had to be perfection.
Karl did NOT EVER collaborate with ANYONE in the design of his furniture!
When Karl had a new piece being worked on at a workshop, he would have Joachim or me go
with him to give a critique. If he thought it valid, he would continue working on the piece.
He also took opinions from anyone who would go to a workshop with him, including the opinion
of the artisan. When Benjamin would drive him, Karl would also ask his opinion.
Benjamin had excelent taste and a good eye.
When a prototype was finished, it was then delivered to the showroom so Karl could study it to see if he wanted to leave it as is, or continue with his design process. If more design or finish changes were to be made, these completed pieces would be marked as "One-Of-A-Kind" and sold off of the showroom floor. Only after Karl was completely satisfied with a new design, would shop drawings be made.
Visit - other Pertinent information : Website: https://karlspringerltd-fact.com/index.html
Contact Information
Email: karl.springerfurniture@yahoo.com Mary Forssberg & Karl in Italy, near Florence
 Karl hamming it up with his beloved Pushkin
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My sincere apology to anyone who has read Karl's NY Times obituary before.
The only time I actually read Karl's obituary was when I went back to NYC to attend his memorial service or I would have asked Mateo then or in between the last time I talked to him, in approximately 2007, while he was living in a high end residential place, that also provided care when necessary, in the Carmel Valley, CA., where he was originally from. Several months after our last conversation, Mateo passed away. Mateo was a character, so I can only assume he didn't want to get into all the past details and it was easier and more expeditious to simply say Berlin. Or that Karl preferred it. When he left Bremen, he also tried to forget the pains and horrors of the many war bombing when he was a child/teenager. Unfortunately I did not read the obit when I put this site together, but only scanned this onto my site - I have updated this obituary to show the actual facts. Now every site that has copied the incorrect and false information can change the information they show about Karl Springer
Karl Springer, 60, a Designer Of Classic and Exotic Furniture
Published: December 6, 1991 Karl Springer, a designer and manufacturer of luxury furniture and a wide array of accessories, died on Wednesday, December 4th, at his home in Manhattan. He was 60 years old. He died of lymphoma, reported Mateo Lettunich, a former business partner and longtime friend. Mr. Springer worked with many materials -- often exotic ones -- to translate pure, classical shapes into contemporary, custom-made furniture, light fixtures or Venetian-glass objects. He was the president and sole owner of Karl Springer, Ltd., with showrooms in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo and additional outlets in Munich and Chicago.
His signature styles were classical Chinese and Art Deco, the latter inspired by his predecessors Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank. Other influences seen in his creations ranged from the Bauhaus of Germany, his native country, to the Ashanti of Africa. Craftsmen around the world implemented his designs and he traveled widely to oversee the workshops and to scout for new ideas, forms and materials.
Mr. Springer was credited with reviving Shagreen, the rough skin of an Asian shark, which had been popular as a fabric in the 1920's but had fallen out of favor. He brought the use of lacquered parchment back into furniture manufacture as well and also worked with inlaid-wood veneers, rare woods, metals, faux finishes and granite.
Mr. Springer's quest for high quality imbued his work with a sense, of scale and proportion. He demanded attention to detail and uncompromising craftsmanship, which won him respect throughout the design industry.
Mr. Springer was born in Bremen, Germany, moving to Berlin when WW II ended. He Met Mateo and his mother at the Berlin State Opera House and came to New York in 1957, bent upon becoming a bookbinder and attending the Metropolitan Opera. Given a job in window display at Lord & Taylor, Mr. Springer put the skills of bookbinding to use to create small, decorative objects covered in fine leathers and skins, developing new methods as he went along. His handmade designs caught the eye of a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and soon began to attract a discerning clientele.
He managed to establish his first, tiny workshop in the early 1960's and started concentrating on furniture design in 1965. His business flourished after the Duchess of Windsor came across his designs and praised them to her many acquaintances.
"Once I was discovered by the Duchess and her circle, I probably could have gone on making little leather phone tables forever," he told an interviewer two years ago, laughing. "But you need a challenge."
Written by Wolfgang Saxon for the New York Times
The only time I actually read Karl's obituary was when I went back to NYC to attend his memorial service or I would have asked Mateo then or in between the last time I talked to him, in approximately 2007, while he was living in a high end residential place, that also provided care when necessary, in the Carmel Valley, CA., where he was originally from. Several months after our last conversation, Mateo passed away. Mateo was a character, so I can only assume he didn't want to get into all the past details and it was easier and more expeditious to simply say Berlin. Or that Karl preferred it. When he left Bremen, he also tried to forget the pains and horrors of the many war bombing when he was a child/teenager. Unfortunately I did not read the obit when I put this site together, but only scanned this onto my site - I have updated this obituary to show the actual facts. Now every site that has copied the incorrect and false information can change the information they show about Karl Springer
Karl Springer, 60, a Designer Of Classic and Exotic Furniture
Published: December 6, 1991 Karl Springer, a designer and manufacturer of luxury furniture and a wide array of accessories, died on Wednesday, December 4th, at his home in Manhattan. He was 60 years old. He died of lymphoma, reported Mateo Lettunich, a former business partner and longtime friend. Mr. Springer worked with many materials -- often exotic ones -- to translate pure, classical shapes into contemporary, custom-made furniture, light fixtures or Venetian-glass objects. He was the president and sole owner of Karl Springer, Ltd., with showrooms in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo and additional outlets in Munich and Chicago.
His signature styles were classical Chinese and Art Deco, the latter inspired by his predecessors Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank. Other influences seen in his creations ranged from the Bauhaus of Germany, his native country, to the Ashanti of Africa. Craftsmen around the world implemented his designs and he traveled widely to oversee the workshops and to scout for new ideas, forms and materials.
Mr. Springer was credited with reviving Shagreen, the rough skin of an Asian shark, which had been popular as a fabric in the 1920's but had fallen out of favor. He brought the use of lacquered parchment back into furniture manufacture as well and also worked with inlaid-wood veneers, rare woods, metals, faux finishes and granite.
Mr. Springer's quest for high quality imbued his work with a sense, of scale and proportion. He demanded attention to detail and uncompromising craftsmanship, which won him respect throughout the design industry.
Mr. Springer was born in Bremen, Germany, moving to Berlin when WW II ended. He Met Mateo and his mother at the Berlin State Opera House and came to New York in 1957, bent upon becoming a bookbinder and attending the Metropolitan Opera. Given a job in window display at Lord & Taylor, Mr. Springer put the skills of bookbinding to use to create small, decorative objects covered in fine leathers and skins, developing new methods as he went along. His handmade designs caught the eye of a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and soon began to attract a discerning clientele.
He managed to establish his first, tiny workshop in the early 1960's and started concentrating on furniture design in 1965. His business flourished after the Duchess of Windsor came across his designs and praised them to her many acquaintances.
"Once I was discovered by the Duchess and her circle, I probably could have gone on making little leather phone tables forever," he told an interviewer two years ago, laughing. "But you need a challenge."
Written by Wolfgang Saxon for the New York Times
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Knife Edge dining table covered in silver leaf inlay, shiny finish. Gunmetal & Gold plate candlesticks with natural Beeswax candles. Floor lamp in gunmetal with polished brass corner detail, lighted lucite ends.
Top left - Airport Desk covered in Goatskin Parchment, ivory, natural beige & natural gray top, black black dyed goatskin uprights. Middle - Atlantis Table in Gunmetal, ribbon cut 1 1/4" clear glass. Swivel chair number 1, upholstered in black leather, polished brass base. Dowelwood sofa in white washed, white ash. Top right - Four panel screen, lacquered black with different shades of silver leaf inlay, finished in Paris by Lac d'Argent. Bottom left - Karl hated surpise photos. Middle - The original way the dowelwood w/rawhide was made for an Acapulco Villa. This had to be changed as the rawhide would sag after air freight going from humid to dry and then humid again Bottom right - Gold Plated Sea Shells that were found in the Caribbean |
Black Sandstone JMF single console. Half Round Molding mirror with stepdown detail on the inside and outside, covered in Gray Shagreen. 12" diameter Sculpture leg, cap & leg covered in fossil stone inlay, with a 1.25" fan shaped clear glass top.
Karl with Takako at a party in the NYC showroom. Takako is an artist who painted leather and fabrics for upholstery, pillows and yardage. After she and her husband retired, they moved back to Japan.
Midori and Karl at the opening of the Tokyo Karl Springer Showroom
Warehouse L - Onassis chairs | R - Art Deco Dining Table, covered in shiny dark gray goatskin parchment
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Tulip Chair | covered and upholstered in Gold Leaf Leather
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Pyramid Cabinet and Octagonal Mirror, finished in Matchstick, Mother of Pearl, and Brass inlay - both by the artist Joseph Varsas |
The original design of the dowelwood furniture was for a large Villa in Acapulco. Made in White Ash with woven Rawhide detail
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Rain Drum in Polished Chrome with a Beveled Edge Lava Stone Top
Curved corner cabinet, Seguso black glass bowl, Double Bullseye mirror, Ancient carving, Rock Crystal dish, Seguso white ribbed vase, Seguso white square bowl - all of which were covered with ash while the glass was still hot.
https://karlspringerfurniture-facts.com/index.html