Newspaper rack Carl Auböck II ca. 1938

In the 1920s, Carl Auböck began developing his first independent designs as both a craftsman and designer. Building on the traditions of his father’s workshop, he created a steadily growing collection of everyday objects that appealed to a modern, middle-class clientele. While many of his early pieces were influenced by the prevailing Art Deco style, Auböck soon established a distinctive approach to material and form—shaped in part by his engagement with the ideas of the Weimar Bauhaus.
The newspaper stand is a characteristic example of Auböck’s unique design language: the combination of warm leather and polished brass creates a striking material contrast, while the flowing lines lend the functional object a sense of formal clarity and refined lightness.
Carl Auböck’s work received numerous awards and was featured in international exhibitions. Today, his designs are regarded as icons of 20th-century Austrian design.