A collection that documents George Nakashima making four furniture pieces in August 1955, two with design features never previously executed by him. by Nakashima George and Louise Lux-Sions

Offering: A collection that documents George Nakashima making four furniture pieces in August 1955 for Harry and Louis Lux Sions, two with design features never previously executed by him. In 1955, George Nakashima, established at his New Hope studio for less than 10 years was relatively little known with few patrons. The Sions were among the first in Philadelphia society to commission and purchase his handmade furniture. The Original Signed Sketch: by George Nakashima with his annotations and measurements shows four furniture pieces in situ at the patron's Philadelphia apartment at 2101 Walnut Street and is dated August 8, 1955. The sketch paper, 7.8 x 5.9 inches (198 x 150 mm) with a hand ruled border, has the printed heading, George Nakashima-Woodworker-New Hope, Pennsylvania and is inscribed, "specially designed units for Mr. & Mrs. Harry Sions". The sketch was entirely done by George Nakashama, primarily in pencil with modifications in pen & ink and shows the dining table, a small slab bench with fitted foam rubber 'pillow', and two chests with sliding doors, the larger with adjustable tray drawers of two depths, with form and placement for the table, detailed measurements and placement for the three other commissioned furniture units, and corrections and modifications made, as part of the interactive approval process with the Sions. The smaller hanging chest has the Nakashima notation, "interesting support" and was the first in this style he built, the support design suggested by the Sions. At the foot, the sketch is signed and dated by Louise Lux-Sions with her final approval. The furniture was made by George Nakashima and installed in the Sions' apartment in the fall of 1955. Documentation: The furniture sketch is documented by the illuminating signed correspondence, which reveals the new design features George Nakashima incorporated at the Sions behest, as well as, the patronage brought in by the Sions, prominent in Philadelphia society. Also providing documentation for the finished pieces are the four photograph prints of three of the furniture pieces taken by Louise Lux-Sions after her beloved husband had died to show their placement in a later apartment in 1983 when she had decided to sell the Nakashima furniture pieces and was reaching out to George Nakashima for advice and assistance. Additional ephemera document later interactions with the Nakashima Studio and include a clipping of the obituary for George Nakashima in a local Pennsylvania paper. The Four Photographs: are 9 x 13 cm color prints, shot in March 1983 by Louise Lux-Sions (a professional photographer and journalist). They document three of the finished furniture pieces and provide clear views in a later, smaller apartment. On the versos of the prints are information about the shots: Print I with Louise Lux's stamp, date stamped March 1983 twice / Print II with Louise Lux's stamp and her name in Chinese characters / Print III is inscribed by Louise Lux, "Nakashima chests, living room; pass-through to kitchen" / And Print IV with Louise Lux's stamp and a later sale estimate ($8,000.00 in in pen & ink). The smaller hanging chest is cited in the Philadelphia Inquirer (Dec. 2007). It was authenticated by the Nakashima Studio for Stephenson's and auctioned January 1, 2008, selling for $8,625.00. [Feb. 3, 2008 Auction Publicity] Louise Lux-Sions Letter to George Nakashima (copy): provides historical context with invaluable information on the furniture pieces and other early Nakashima commissions in Philadelphia society, mentioning commissions from Philadelphia society patrons referred to George Nakashima by the Sions. Louis Lux Sions notes the design for the dining table was the first by George Nakashima to incorporate piano dowling. "The dining room table and two sliding door chests you made for us were always our delight. The dining table seated eight, with short drop leaves and piano dowling, which, I believe you said, was the first time you had done this and was at my suggestion." And, "The larger, longer chest served as receptacle for all our china, silver and linens and the smaller, which rested at one end on the edge of the larger, served as a bar." The letter is 21 lines typed, dated June 10, 1982, with a handwritten notation on the dining room table's 1982 auction price. George Nakashima's Letter in Reply (original): Responding to Lux-Sions' request for advice on resale of the furniture pieces, George Nakashima states he can't help, for has no connection to those who re-sell his furniture. However, because of a pending TIME article on his furniture, he suggests it may be a propitious time to sell … "the resultant publicity may facilitate your disposing of these pieces." The June 21, 1982 article by Wolf von Eckardt, "Giving a Second Life to Trees", discusses Nakashima's work, in the context of the flourishing modern artisanal American furniture movement he helped to seed. The original letter is 10 lines typed on his business stationary, dated June 14, 1982, signed by him in brush & sumi over a pen & ink under-signature. Additional Ephemera: Obituary: for George Nakashima (d. June 15, 1990) by Robert Benineasa, clipped from the Bucks County Courier Times. / Price List: Nakashima New Hope Studio furniture (January 2000): Six pages, with 12 parts with introduction on their stocked woods; pamphlet with stapled binding sleeved in the original mailing envelope with Louise Lux's handwritten address. Condition: About Good. Original Sketch: some margin soiling, fingering, mailing folds, rear with pencil calculation. / Photograph Prints are preserved in original plastic sleeve: Nos. I, III, and IV Nearly Fine with trace edge rubs; No. II: Fair because of bleed from handwritten numeral in top right corner. / Nakashima Letter (original): toned, handling marks, mailing folds. / Louise Lux Letter (copy): paper clip impress, scattered handling marks. Ephemera: Obituary: stapled and folded, otherwise very good / Pamphlet: Fine / Envelope: Very Good, neat slit from opening. Louise Lux-Sions [1913-2007]: Career journalist, served with the American Red Cross in China, in WWII. Post-war, while working as assistant to the editor at Holiday Magazine, she met and worked closely with her future husband. They married in 1947. Later, she became an editor at LIFE and Time-Life Books and contributed photographs to several books. During her retirement she wrote "The Unsullied Dynasty and the K'ang-hsi Emperor", which has become a recommended reference. Additional Images: by request.