Pedal bin
The steel pedal bin Holger Nielsen made in Randers in 1939 for his wife's hair salon, still made by Vipp and held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
- Designed by
- Holger Nielsen
- Made by
- Vipp
- First made
- 1939
Pictures © Vipp, from vipp.com.
Why it is renowned
The Museum of Modern Art in New York took the Vipp pedal bin (model 15) into its Architecture and Design collection in 2009, as a gift of the maker.12 MoMA showed it in its exhibitions Shaping Modernity: Design 1880-1980 in 2009 and 2010 and Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen in 2010 and 2011.1
Recognition
- Museum of Modern Art, New York12009the pedal bin (model 15) in its Architecture and Design collection, object number 1332.2009
The story
Holger Nielsen ran a metal workshop in Randers.2 When his wife Marie opened a hair salon in 1939, he made her a bin with a foot pedal; customers asked for their own, and by the 1950s the bin was common in clinics and businesses across Denmark.21 The name comes from the Danish verb vippe, to tilt, after the movement of the lid.2
The lid has changed slightly with new production methods, but the design is the same.2 Vipp says the shape followed from function, not styling, starting with the pedal for hands-free use.3 The model 15 holds 14 litres; its body is powder-coated or stainless steel around a removable galvanised inner bin, a damper closes the lid quietly, and rubber rings seal the lid and protect the floor.3
Sources
- Holger Nielsen. Pedal Bin (model 15). 1939, MoMA. moma.org, read 16 October 2026.
- From Marie to MoMA and Beyond, Vipp. vipp.com, read 16 October 2026.
- Pedal Bin 14 L / 4 Gal, Vipp. vipp.com, read 16 October 2026.
Last checked 16 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.