The Mid-Centurion

A place for all things Mid-Century Modern. A designer wish list, if you will. Currated by dijanajovanovic.net

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Gibson Les Paul Standard V3 (60th anniversary reissue) – Originally designed by John Huis for Gibson (1960)

The Gibson Les Paul is my absolute favourite electric guitar design. Guitarist Les Paul, consulted with Gibson and designer John Huis in the early 50s and this iconic shape emerged in 1953. Many custom models and reissues are still in production to this day. So many famous guitarists have used this guitar including Slash, Billy Gibbons, Bob Marley, Zakk Wylde and Eric Clapton to name a few. It’s just another example of beautiful design withstanding the test of time.

Image source: WaltGrace Vintage

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Superleggera SL – Wilier (2016)

I think I’m in love! I’ve always had a thing for steel frame bikes but this might be The One. Italian company Wilier have been making bikes since 1906. This particular model has been in production in some form since the mid-40s to the mid-80s with very few changes. It was reissued as the Superleggera SL in 2016. The frame is handmade from traditional Columbus steel, which then gets copper plated and coated with a translucent orange paint for that signature Wilier Ramato look. To finish off they’ve added new Campagnolo and Cinelli components creating the perfect balance of classic looks and modern performance. It weighs about 8.3kg, but let’s face it, nobody buying this cares about weight or the fact that it can’t beat a carbon superbike. The top of the line version costs €6900. Or you can buy the frameset for €2700 and build it to your specifications to bring costs down. How much does a spare kidney go for these days?

Image sources: Wilier, Gran Fondo

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Zippo Windproof Lighter – George G. Blaisdell (1941)

Originally designed in 1935, the Zippo lighter has had very few design updates over the decades. Aside from special editions this simple, elegant classic didn’t need to change. Zippo offer a lifetime guarantee which is still so rare. I wish more companies paid attention to durable design and sustainability.

Image source: GearDisciple, Zippo

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Neumann U47 – Georg Neumann, distributed by Telefunken (1949)

This was the first microphone designed by Georg Neumann. It was also the most popular and professionally preferred studio mic of the era. I was looking at one of my old records and it said all vocals were recorded with a Neumann U47 so I looked it up. I know nothing about studio mics but it looks very cool! 

Image source: Störung

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Fiat 500 (1960) – Dante Giacosa.

The Fiat 500 is such a cute little car that can still be seen regularly across Europe. Designer Dante Giacosa won a Compasso d'Oro industrial design prize for his work in 1959. Production ran from 1957-1975. Fiat relaunched the iconic car in 2007 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. It was quite faithful to the original.

Image sources: Classic Driver, Bring A Trailer

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RR126 Radiofonografo — Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Brionvega (1965)

Here’s another one for the wish list. Brionvega reissued the RR126 Radiofonografo (now the RR226). It’s always great when companies restore or reissue classics like this. Anyway, it’s now available in walnut, orange, red and white. I’d get one in walnut if I had $24,390 (AUD) to spare! I love how ridiculously happy it looks! ^_^

Image source: Archiproducts, Artemest, Archiexpo, Yellowtrace

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Howdy Owls – Andreas Engevik (2011)

Image source: Kalium

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HiFi-Kugelstrahler 700 (Audiorama 700) – Grundig (1969)

HiFi-Duo-Baßbox 402 – Grundig (1972?)

The only info I could find about these speakers was the year. No idea who designed them unfortunately. I absolutely love 60s/70s audio equipment. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore!

Image source: Bukowskis, Bliss Modern Antiques, HiFi-Archiv

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Selectric Typewriter – Eliot Noyes for IBM (1961)

The Selectric Typewriter (originally called the IBM 72 Electric) was a major innovation in early word processing. It used a moving ball with all the characters on it instead of a type bar (a component prone to jamming often), which led to faster typing speeds and higher productivity. You could also quickly replace the ball for different typefaces and alphabets too! 

Image source: IBM, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal

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Spacelander Bicycle –  Benjamin G. Bowden (Designed 1946, manufactured 1960)

Image source: Wright

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The Fur Aficionado – Shag (2019)

Magis Puppy – Eero Arnio (2003)

Shag (a.k.a Josh Agle) is one of my favourite artists. His work always has that Mid-Century Modern/Tiki flair and features a lot of iconic MCM furniture and decor. He’s also done official collaborations with Warner Bros. and Disney. I was lucky enough to meet him at a book signing years ago and got two prints and a book signed plus a photo with him!

Image source: La Fiambrera

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Eames Elephant – Charles & Ray Eames (1945)

Eames Lounge Chair – Charles & Ray Eames (1956)

I’m a massive Eames fan not gonna lie. I have a replica Eames Lounge Chair that I absolutely love. It’s not the best replica but the best I can afford. Anyway, they did some amazing work with plywood! It’s so cool to see toys using their techniques. 

Image source: Smow

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Vespa GS 150 – Corradino D'Ascanio for Piaggio (1955-1961)

The Vespa GS 150 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the worlds most beautiful scooter. It was also the first to have a 150 CC engine with a top speed of 100km/h.

Image source: Flickr

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Redheads Logo – Rupert Hing for Bryant and May (1946)

The Redheads Matches logo (a.k.a. Miss Redhead) is an Australian icon. She was created in 1946 by design contest winner Rupert Hing, and was on matchboxes in 1947. The illustration was updated to the version above in 1975 but this particular matchbox was from the early 2000s. I liked the logo so much I did a painting on a canvas sheet.

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Max Bill Automatic – Max Bill for Junghans (1961)

Great design can look deceptively simple and effortless sometimes. And the series of watches that Swiss Architect, Artist, Graphic Designer and Industrial Designer Max Bill created are beautifully elegant and timeless. The reissued versions are available online from Junghans. 

Image source: Junghans, Windup

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TWA Terminal, JFK Airport – Eero Saarinen (1962)

This iconic airport terminal was designed by Finnish-American Architect and Industrial Designer, Eero Saarinen in 1955. Construction was completed in 1962, a year after his death. The terminal was in use until the 90s and was sold in 2001. Catch Me If You Can (2002) staring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks was filmed there. The abandoned terminal was fully renovated and converted into a beautiful hotel in 2019 filled with period furniture and decor. I’d absolute love to visit one day! 

Image source: TWA Hotel, ArchDaily, Ezra Stoller

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Hasselblad 1000F – Victor Hasselblad, Sixten Sason (1952)

Image source: Hasselblad