Mid-Century Modern Bookshelf in Hardwood, Brass & Steel Geraldo de Barros Brazil

The MF 710 bookshelf by Geraldo de Barros is stunning & probably the most complete of the systems created by him, despite having only 3 basic components: columns, boxes, and shelves. The columns are structural and work like the columns of a building; the shelves and boxes are of varying dimensions and act like beams that stabilize the construction.

This midcentury masterpiece is made of Brazilian Rosewood, steel & brass. The wood has been refinished, the brass polished, and the steel untouched. Besides the Formica, everything is original and in great condition. The manufacture seal is under the base.

The structure consists of 3 drawers, 2 box cabinets and 2 shelves. The versatile piece can be rearranged in different ways, as shown in the images and serve not only as bookshelf, but bar, storage, and desk. This beauty will look great in any Mid-Century Modern, post-modern, modern, or contemporary environment.

Size: H79, W61, D16 (in) H201, W155, D40.82 (cm)

The last images are vintage & contemporary publications showcasing the piece.

Geraldo de Barros (1923-1998) was one of the key players of the Modernist movement in Brazil in the 1950's. Originally a painter close to the European avant-garde and the pioneer of abstract photography in Brazil in the 1940's (his works are part of the MoMa collection), Geraldo de Barros went to furniture-making in the early 1950's, seeking a more popular artform that would make his work available to a larger audience - which was more or less the idea behind the Bauhaus movement. In 1954, he founded the company Unilabor with a Dominican priest & skilled tradesmen. Unilabor was run by its employees and all benefits shared between them, thus becoming the first communitarian business in Modern Brazil history.