Designer: Reinhold Weiss (b. 1934)

Item: HL1 Desk Fan

Manufactured by: Braun AG

Country of origin: Germany/Spain

Year made: 1961

Materials: Plastic, steel and acrylic

Dimensions: 5 ¾” x 5 ½” x 2 ¾”

Condition: Excellent

Description: Here is an important 20th century modernist design for a desk fan by Reinhold Weiss while he was working under the supervision of Deiter Rams who at that time was the design director at Braun AG in Germany. The initial production of this fan was made in West Germany and then transferred to Spain where this example was produced. This design is becoming quite sought after and another example recently sold at auction for $275 hammer, so with buyers premium fees more than $350.

Weiss worked at Braun from 1959, immediately after graduating from the Ulm Academy of Design, until 1967 when he left Braun. When he left Braun he had risen to the Deputy Director of Design under Rams. Examples of this design can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, as well as other public collections. Other Weiss designs for Braun are also found in the design collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.

References: Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible, Lovell, pg. 76; Ten Principles for Good Design: Dieter Rams, De Jong, pg. 373