Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel Important Dates and Notable Achievements
1921
Jørgen Ditzel was born at Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
1939
Jørgen began training as an upholsterer
1940-1944
Jørgen studied at the Arts and Crafts School in Copenhagen
Graduating from the school's furniture department in 1944
1923
Nanna Hauberg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark
1943
Nanna graduated as cabinetmaker from Richard’s School in Copenhagen
1943-1946
Nanna studied at the Arts and Crafts School in Copenhagen
Graduating from the school's furniture department in 1946
1944
Nanna and Jørgen participate as a couple in The Cabinetmakers’ exhibition
1945
Nanna and Jørgen again exhibit together at The Cabinetmakers’ exhibition, winning the second prize
1946
Nanna and Jørgen married in July and in the autumn they established own design studio in Copenhagen
1950
They became parents to their first child, a daughter, Dennie
First prize in Goldsmiths’ Joint Council competition
Winner of Cabinetmakers’ Guild competition
1951
Silver Medal, Triennale Milan
1952
Began cooperation with Unika Væv and Halling-Koch
1953
Awarded travelling scholarship to Rome
1954
The twins, Lulu and Vita, were born
Silver medal, Triennale Milan
Published the book 'Danish Chairs'
Began lifelong cooperation with Georg Jensen
1956
Awarded The Lunning Prize (Awarded for the children’s high chair from 1955)
1957
Study visit to Greece, funded by Lunning Prize money
Exhibitions in Sweden and Germany
Silver medal Triennale Milan
1959
Study visits to Mexico and USA, funded by Lunning Prize Money
1960
Gold medal Triennale Milan for Georg Jensen silver bracelet
1961
At request of Den Permanente, Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel designed and were responsible for the Amsterdam exhibition 'Deense Woonkunst'. This was their last collaborative project, as Jørgen Ditzel died suddenly in April 1961
1962
One-woman exhibition in London
Exhibited at Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition for Poul Christiansen
1963
One-woman exhibition at Georg Tanier, New York
Involvement in the design magazine 'Mobilia' with Poul Henningsen, Hans Bendix, Aagaard Andersen and others
1964
One-woman exhibitions in Berlin and Vienna
1965
Designed the internationally marketed furnishing fabric 'Hallingdal' for Halling-Koch Design Centre
Exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen with Aagaard Andersen and Egon Mathiessen
1968
Married Kurt Heide and moved to London
1970
As a joint project with her husband, created Interspace, an international furniture design centre in London
1972
One-woman exhibition at Lerchenborg Castle, Denmark
1973
Visit to the Far East, where Nanna had established and developed the production of cane furniture over a period of years
1980
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing a coffee table with bowl, designed for Brdr. Krüger
1981
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing stacking tables, designed for Brdr. Krüger
Elected Chairman of the Design and Industries Association, London
1982
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing a serving trolley, designed for Brdr. Krüger
1983
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing a maple dining chair, designed for Brdr. Krüger
1984
Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition, showing 'Flower Table', produced by Brdr. Krüger
1985
Nanna Ditzel’s husband Kurt Heide died
1986
Nanna Ditzel Moved back to Denmark
Established design studio in central Copenhagen
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing three screens, designed for Brdr. Krüger
1987
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing a garden bench, designed for Fritz Hansen Eftf.
1988
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing a dressing table, produced by Sigurd Højland Olsen
Developed a colour scheme for Danish State Railways’ new IC3 train which can be used for textiles and other interior colours
1989
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing 'Bench for Two', a seat made from 2 mm plywood with silk-screen printed circular decoration, made in cooperation with Gorm Lindum
1990
Awarded Gold Medal for 'Bench for Two' at the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa, Japan
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing 'Butterfly Chair', cut from a single fibre panel and with printed fan-shaped pattern. The 'Butterfly Chair' was developed in Nanna Ditzel’s design studio
1991
Danish Ministry of Education and National Centre for Educational Materials presented a film on Nanna Ditzel, her designs and working methods
One-woman exhibition at Østbanen in Århus
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing chairs in curved shapes, produced by Fritz Hansen
1992
Took part in the exhibition 'Design Iscenesat' at Kunstforeningen
One-woman exhibition at Munkeruphus, Denmark
One-woman exhibition at Kvadrat in Ebeltoft
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing the chair 'Viften', produced by PP Furniture, Allerød
1993
One-woman exhibition at Selvini in Milan
Designed an altar cloth for Lindehøj Church in Herlev, woven by Hanne Vedel
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing the indoor and outdoor furniture 'Atrium', produced by Trip Trap
1994
One-woman exhibition at Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen
One-woman exhibition at Holbæk Art Society
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing the Scooner chair produced by Møre Møbler, Norway
1995
Took part in 'Living Design In Denmark' in Madrid and Barcelona
Arranged new exhibition of the permanent collection of the Glass Museum, Ebeltoft
Awarded the ID Prize for the Trinidad chair
One-woman exhibition at the Country Hall, Roskilde
Elected Knight of Order of the Dannebrog
1996
One-woman exhibition at the Institute of the Blind and Partially Sighted
One-woman exhibitions in Manchester and Glasgow
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition showing the Sea Shell chair produced by PP Furniture, Allerød
Elected Honorary Royal Designer, Royal Society of Arts, London
1997
One-woman exhibition in London
One-woman exhibition at the City Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland
One-woman exhibition at Illums Bolighus, Copenhagen
Awarded the Honorary Grant of the Anniversary Foundation of the Danish National Bank
Exhibition with Puk Lippmann at the National Bank
1998
Lifelong Artist Grant awarded by the Ministry of Culture
'Motion and Beauty, The Book of Nanna Ditzel', by Henrik Sten Møller, published by Rhodos, Denmark
1999
Awarded Thorvald Bindesboll Medal
One-woman exhibition 'Con Amore' at Royal Copenhagen
2001
Awarded The Annual Danish Classical Design Prize by The Danish Design Centre for the upholstery cloth Hallingdal
Took part in Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, showing The Icon Family, four chairs inspired by a dress from the film 'The Pillow Book' made at Nanna Ditzel’s Design Studio
2002
Awarded The Annual Prize of the Danish Design Council
Awarded The Annual Furniture Award by the Magazine BO BEDRE for the 'ICON' chair
One-woman Exhibition 'Stairscapes' at The Danish Museum for Arts and Crafts, Copenhagen
2003
'Paysages Mobiliers' exhibition at 'La Maison Du Danemark', Paris
Permanent Free Space Exhibition, Trapholt, Kolding
2004
Exhibition Nordic Cool: Hot Women Designers, Washington, USA
2005
Hanne Horsfeld's book 'Nanna Ditzel' Series: Danske Designere, publisher Aschehoug Forlag
Nanna Ditzel died in Copenhagen, Denmark.