Minerva Sofa by Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for France & Søn / France & Daverkosen

Hvidt & Mølgaard was a Copenhagen-based, Danish design and architectural firm which existed from 1944 until 2009. Founded by Peter Hvidt (1916-1986) and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen (1907-1993), the company was a pioneering force in Danish furniture design and industrialized production in the 1950s, creating furniture that was easy to mass-produce and economic to transport.

Danish architect-designer Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen was born in 1907. His formative years were spent in Copenhagen, studying at the Aalborg Technical School (graduating in 1924) and at the Art and Crafts School of the Design Museum (graduating in 1928). From 1931 until 1934, he continued his studies in furniture design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts under the instruction of Danish master Kaare Klint (1888-1954).

Danish architect-designer Peter Hvidt was born in Copenhagen in 1916. He studied architecture and cabinetry at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Subsequently, he worked at various design firms before establishing his own studio in 1942. From 1942 to 1945, Hvidt taught at the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1944, Hvidt designed the Portex Chair, which was one of Denmark’s first stacking chairs. Hvidt, whose design aesthetic was characterized as traditional throughout the 1940s, exhibited frequently at the Cabinetmaker's Guild exhibitions, as both a designer and architect. He also worked with the lighting manufacturer Le Klint on numerous lighting designs.

In 1944, the pair co-established Hvidt & Mølgaard Studio, which they ran together until 1975. During this time, the pair created designs for Fritz Hansen, France & Søn, and Søborg Møbelfabrik. In 1950, the pair designed the AX Chair, which solidified both of their careers as industrial designers and became an icon of Danish mid-century design. AX  was inspired by the work of American design duo Charles and Ray Eames, and was the first Danish chair that was crafted with both a seat and back made of curved laminated wood. The chair utilized a laminated technique for production which was carried out by Fritz Hansen. The chair’s design allowed for mass production and easy packaging, opening a successful market for Danish furniture to be exported around the world. The AX Chair was eventually accompanied by the AX Table, which was exhibited in 1951 as part of the "Good Design" show sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Like many designers of the mid-century period, they also incorporated leather in their designs, as well as teak and cane, and created modular units such as bookcases and living room sets. Other designs by the pair include the FD134 Chair, FD145 Chair, Gateleg Dining Table, Minerva Sofa, and the Model 523—or Pinwheel—side table (all 1950s for France & Søn).

Hvidt & Mølgaard focused on architectural projects, which spanned office buildings and factories, such as the De Danske Sukkerfabrikker building in Copenhagen (1958), as well as collective housing projects in Søllerød, Hillerød, and Birkerød (1962–1970). They were known for their light, simple, and clear designs, which were carried out with precision. In 1970, Hans Kristensen (b. 1933) joined the firm, helping the pair to design the Little Belt Bridge (1965-1970) and the Vejle Fjord Bridge (1975- 1980).

Both Hvidt and Mølgaard-Nielsen retired in 1975, designing over 256 pieces of furniture together over the course of their careers. Hvidt passed away in 1986 and Mølgaard-Nielsen in 1993. Hvidt received the Diplôme d'Honneur at Milan’s Triennale in 1951 and 1954. Mølgaard-Nielsen was jointly awarded an iF Product Design Award for the Safari lamp for Nordisk Solar Compagni (1981, Christian Hvidt, Peter Hvidt & Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen). Their work can be found at New York’s MoMA, the National Gallery in Melbourne, and the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen.

The company continued to thrive after the founders' retirement, and was run by Kristensen, Peter Holsøe (b. 1943), and Hvidt's son Henrik Hvidt (b. 1945). Later architectural works include, buildings for Nokia (1996) and DONG in Copenhagen’s South Docklands, and two masterplans for major harbor redevelopments in Estonia. In 2009, the company was split in two, forming Hvidt Arkitekter and Holsøe Arkitekter.

France & Søn—and its predecessor, France & Daverkosen—are among the most sought after names on the vintage market today. Numerous pieces that are still in circulation retain their original identifying labels and were designed by major midcentury Danish designers, like Hvidt & Mølgaard, Grete Jalk, Finn Juhl, Arne Vodder, and Ole Wanscher. It's surprising, then, that so little information about the company's history and evolution has survived.

The popular Danish manufacturing firm was founded in Denmark in 1936 by British businessman Charles W. France and Danish cabinetmaker Eric Daverkosen, who had met years earlier in Yorkshire while working at the same textile company where they became close friends. Sadly, Eric Daverkosen died a year later in 1937, but France continued to run the factory with Daverkosen's widow.

Mattresses may have been the company's first focus, but by 1952 France & Daverkosen had built a large furniture factory in Hillerød, just outside of Copenhagen, and was fast becoming one of most successful Danish furniture companies dedicated to mass production rather than traditional artisanal methods. Seating that features loose cushions and light, teak frames became France & Daverkosen's signature.

In 1957, when France’s son James France joined the company, the name was changed to France & Søn. Many models produced by France & Daverkosen had been named FD followed by the model number, and France & Søn continued to produce those designs under their original names while introducing new collections every year.

Sometime between 1964 and 1967, Danish designer-manufacturer Poul Cadovius purchased France & Søn and renamed it CADO. Cadovius continued to produce France & Søn designs and to collaborate with an impressive roster of iconic designers, including Verner Panton, until he closed shop some time in the mid- to late-1970s. Notable designs produced over two decades by France & Søn and its related companies include the FD145 chair, Minerva sofa, and the Model 523—or Pinwheel—side table by Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielsen (all 1950s); the FD109, FD110 (both 1950s) and Senator chairs by Ole Wanscher (1951); the 209 Diplomat (early 1960s) and Bwana (1964) chairs by Finn Juhl; and the FD164 armchair and ottoman by Arne Vodder (1960s).

Arguably, France & Søn's success in the arena of mass production contributed to its lackluster coverage by design historians; the sheer quantity of its production may have interfered with creating an aura of "specialness." Yet, one surviving story claims that France & Søn was the first—under the direction of Finn Juhl—to figure out how to work with teak at an industrial scale, an impressive feat in the modernist era. Juhl's Model 133 Spadestolen Chair (1953) was the first result. Furthermore, France & Son ensured its products could be easily dismantled, making them cheaper to export. In the late 1950s to early 60s, the company supplied furniture to offices of the International Monetary Fund and created large export markets in Germany and the United States. And the fact that so many France & Søn pieces can be found today in very good condition attests to the company's achievements in quality.