Scandinavian Design: The Lunning Prize 1951-70

When Frederik Lunning left his native Denmark for the USA in the 1920s, Scandinavian design was virtually unknown, and few people believed that Lunning could establish a market for Danish porcelain and glass in New York - but by 1940 his business was flourishing. Then, of course, the war cut off supplies from Europe. After the war, in an effort to replenish his depleted stock, Lunning sent Kaj Dessau to find fresh merchandise in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, the only countries where industrial art still flourished. Delighted with the quality of what he found, Dessau felt that a showcase for Scandinavian products should be set up in the New York shop, and he also proposed the establishment of an awards fund for young artists who, despite the war and its shortages, had persevered in the creation of beauty and originality. The first Lunning prize was awarded in 1951.