Moderne Gallery

Specialties

American Craft and Studio Movement furniture, lighting and accessories — including work by George Nakashima, Wharton Esherick, Sam Maloof, Arthur Espenet Carpenter, Wendell Castle, David Ebner, Peter Voulkos, Toshiko Takaezu, Bill Daley, William Hunter, Bob Stocksdale, and many others.

French Art Deco, French 1940’s and mid-​century furniture, lighting and accessories — including dining, coffee and end tables, dining, arm and side chairs, cabinets, consoles, beds, chests of drawers, etc.

History

Established in 1984.

Moderne Gallery opened in an Old City warehouse, and moved to a gallery in 1986, finally purchasing a 20,000 sq. ft. building at 111 – 113 N. 3^rd Street in Old City. Originally renowned for our selection of French Art Deco, French 40’s and 50’s, in 1985 we began to handle the work of George Nakashima. Following that, Moderne Gallery was the first gallery to make a committment to representing the work of the American Craft and Studio Movement, and is still the most important and largest gallery to show the work of George Nakashima, Wharton Esherick and many others.

Meet the Business Owner

Robert A.

Business Owner

Robert Aibel is the founder and director of Moderne Gallery, which reflects his interests and passions. His abiding interest in visual communication and education as well as an exceptional eye for quality and «the unusual» have built his reputation as a dealer and as a resource to other 20^th century experts and to the press. His scholarly approach to the field has established him as an authority, particularly in French Art Deco, the American Studio Craft Movement, Wharton Esherick and George Nakashima. He is often consulted by museum curators and is frequently cited as a source in newspapers, magazines, and books. He is a founder and former president and secretary of the Old City Arts Association (First Friday) and a 20+ year member and former chairperson of COLLAB, the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s board for modern and contemporary decorative arts. Aibel received his B.A., M.A. and Ph. D from the University of Pennsylvania. He was on the faculty at Drexel University and the University