Design Classics

Design is one of the most fascinating cultural phenomena of the 20th century. This publication outlines the pioneer years of modern design history, tracing the development of the classic avantgarde design from 1880 to 1930 and showing 200 originals which have passed through the hands of Düsseldorf-based art dealer and collector Torsten Bröhan.

Torsten Bröhan (*1948 in Hamburg) studied art history and business management in Berlin. After serving as instructor at the Technical University in Berlin and gaining practical experience in marketing and advertising, he established himself as an independent art dealer in 1983. Together with the DG Bank Luxembourg, he founded the first art-oriented mutual fund, a number of whose holdings are invested in the area of classic design. In 2000, he founded broehanDESIGN Inc., a New York-based Internet company whose goal is to create a virtual museum of design. Torsten Bröhan is respected as one of the leading specialists in the fields of design and commercial art of the 20th century.

Thomas Berg (*1965 in Bonn) studied art history in Bonn. After receiving his MA in 1992 with a thesis on the gold- and silversmith Theodor Wende, he became an independent art dealer and antiquarian in the field of 20th-century design and commercial art. In addition, he pursues research in the area of design history and has contributed to a number of publications on both the design and commercial art of the 20th century.