R 20th Century
www.r20thcentury.com
82 Franklin Street
NYC, NY 10013
T.212 343 7979

Bringing the Outside In and the Unknown Out
On a quiet street in TriBeCa, one can find a unique showroom, subdued and spacious in its architecture, but filled with an interesting and unbelievable array of mid-century collectibles. From a designer's perspective, I feel as though I'm in heaven just being there.

When asked about how it all started and why, co-owner Zesty Meyers calls it all an "accident," but I can hardly believe it's that easy. R 20th Century was started just four years ago by the collaboration of Meyers and his partner, Evan Snyderman. After showcasing modernist furniture at flea markets, the two moved on to a bigger idea: a showroom for collectors, decorators, architects, designers, and anyone interested in good design. Today, the space houses an amazing vintage collection of design, including jewelry, home accessories and furniture. It truly is a "museum worthy collection," as Meyers boasts.

(+) View of lower level

R 20th Century houses an impressive assembly indeed, but without the museum pretension of "look but don't touch." We sit talking on a rare 1960's sofa landscape model, "Lara" by Danielle - the only complete assembly in the world. Also, nearby is one of two known surviving Greta Magnusson Grossman coffee tables from the 1950's (only 10-20 of these were ever made). These unusual pieces exemplify R's atypical mid-century compilation. "Not everything has to have a 'name' - we're interested in good design," says Meyer.

(+) Collection of Verner Panton seating from recent exhibit
Good design comes first, then follows extensive research on the history and designers of the objects and furniture. Meyers explains that it's sometimes a difficult process to uncover who created a certain piece because there were thousands of mid-century designers, unlike previous movements where there were more recognizable, specialized designers. Despite the overwhelming variety, R has certainly brought a number of these designers out of their obscurity.

(+) Series of R 20th Century published books on designers on a Tapio Wirkkala Table

R is a transforming encyclopedia of design. Along with an ever-changing display as things are sold, R houses a massive library for research available to curators, dealers, and historians. Moreover, R also organizes various exhibits throughout the year on the lower level featuring retrospectives and thematic shows, in conjunction with their own publication of the show.

On April 25th, R Gallery will opened a new show, OUTSIDE, exhibiting a collection of mid-century vintage outdoor design in a simulated outdoor patio setting with a modernist house - the first show of its kind in the world. It features works by Hawaiian born designer Walter Lam (who produced bronze tubing and rope furniture in the 1940s) and the iconic outdoor pieces seen in all the Julius Shulman photographs from the former California manufacturer Van Keppel Green. OUTSIDE also features 1940s planters by LA manufacturer Architectural Pottery, complete with flora in collaboration with garden designer Lindsey Taylor.

R is the result of Meyers and Snyderman's unique awareness of perhaps otherwise forgotten designers, and their desire to give back something to the design community. For more information visit www.r20thcentury.com

-Katherine Kim