Mid-Century Marvels | Bar Carts & Dunhill Lighters

Nicholas Wells Antiques proudly honours the mid-century period with, drinks trolleys, bar carts, and Dunhill aquarium lighters. Iconic design objects from the mid-twentieth century. Find them in our Social Objects collections.

Mid-century bar carts

Mid-century bar carts were a popular home furnishing item in the 1950s and 1960s. They were often made of metal, typically brass or chrome, and had two or three tiers for storing liquor bottles, glassware, and other bar accessories. Bar carts were designed to be both functional and stylish, with clean lines and simple shapes that reflected the modernist aesthetic of the time. Some notable designers of mid-century bar carts include Maison Jansen, Bagues, Willy Rizzo and Milo Baughman, and Edward Wormley.

Dunhill Lighters

Dunhill lighters, on the other hand, are luxury smoking accessories that have been around since the early 1900s. The Dunhill company was founded by Alfred Dunhill in 1893, and initially focused on selling motoring accessories. However, in the 1920s, the company expanded into the production of luxury lighters. Dunhill lighters are known for their high quality, precision engineering, and elegant designs. They have been used by many famous individuals, including Winston Churchill and James Bond.

In the mid-century period, Dunhill introduced a number of new lighter designs that became iconic in their own right. One such design was the “Aquarium” lighter, which was introduced in 1950’s. The Rollagas was a gas-powered pocket lighter that featured a sleek shape and a distinctive flint wheel ignition system. It became one of Dunhill’s most popular designs and is still highly prized by collectors today.

Both mid-century bar carts and iconic Dunhill lighters are highly collectible today, and are sought after for their elegant designs and historical significance.