Pair of Art Deco Machine Age Occasional Chairs by Donald Deskey
View Similar Items
Pair of Art Deco Machine Age Occasional Chairs by Donald Deskey
About the Item
- Creator:Donald Deskey (Designer),Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 19.25 in (48.9 cm)Depth: 17 in (43.18 cm)Seat Height: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1935
- Condition:These chairs have been mint restored.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 13091379343877
Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Admirers of vintage mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize the Widdicomb Furniture Company name for the fruitful partnerships it forged with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. But there is more to the Widdicomb story than the albeit quite covetable sofas and bedroom furniture it produced during the middle of the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The American city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Today vintage Widdicomb seating, tables and other pieces produced during the postwar years are particularly sought after by collectors of mid-20th-century furniture.
In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Find vintage Widdicomb coffee tables, case pieces, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
- Pair of Art Deco Machine Age Bent Aluminum and Platinum Velvet Occasional ChairsLocated in New York, NYThis sophisticated Art Deco Machine Age occasional/ side chair was realized in the United States, circa 1935. It features a subtly cantilevered tubular bent aluminum frame with a flo...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Art Deco Machine Age Black Lacquer Skyscraper Style Occasional or Desk ChairLocated in New York, NYThis beautiful Machine Age Art Deco desk or occasional chair was realized in the United States, circa 1935. It features a channeled skyscraper style back; straight front legs and gen...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Side Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Lacquer
- Pair of 1940's Hollywood Lyre Back Occasional ChairsLocated in New York, NYThis pair of 1940s Hollywood chairs with stylized lyre back design with double ribbon center details, in ebonized walnut wood. Chairs have round seats which have been newly upholste...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Donald Deskey Art Deco Black Lacquer, Burled Carpathian Elm & Walnut SideboardBy Donald Deskey, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYThis stunning Art Deco Machine Age sideboard was designed by Donald Deskey (the visionary behind Radio City Music Hall) and realized for the Widd...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Sideboards
MaterialsElm, Walnut, Lacquer
- Art Deco Machine Age Skyscraper Style Black Lacquer & Holly Hunt Fabric ChairLocated in New York, NYThis stunning and graphic Art Deco Machine Age side/ desk chair was realized in the United States circa 1935. It features streamlined side; subtly bowed hind legs and tapered front l...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Lacquer
- Art Deco Machine Age Side Chair by the Modernage Co. in Black Lacquer & VelvetBy Modernage Furniture CompanyLocated in New York, NYThis elegant Art Deco side chair features gently arched black lacquer legs and a smoked platinum velvet seat. It is a stunning representation of the Machi...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Pair of Stylized Art Deco, Machine Age Chrome Side Chairs by DaystromBy Daystrom Furniture, Walter Dorwin TeagueLocated in Buffalo, NYPair of stylized Art Deco, Machine Age tubular chrome side chairs by Daystrom. Amazing design. attributed to Walter Dorwin Teague. All origin...Category
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Side Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- A Pair of Fine French Art Deco Cherry Wood Side ChairsLocated in Long Island City, NYA pair of fine French Art Deco cherrywood side chairs with a curved back, fluted back post, and turned wood details on front legs.Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsCherry
- Set of Four French Art Deco Chairs by DudouytBy Charles DudouytLocated in Long Island City, NYSet of four French Art Deco oak chairs by Dudouyt.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsOak
$5,200 / set - 1920's French Art Deco Goosehead Dining Chairs - Pair DLocated in Charlotte, NCA pair of antique French Art Deco style dining side chairs, unbranded. Solid hardwood with a golden honey tone finish, rounded crestrail blending into curved stile ending with gooseh...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- 1920's French Art Deco Goosehead Dining Chairs - Pair BLocated in Charlotte, NCA pair of antique French Art Deco style dining side chairs, unbranded. Solid hardwood with a golden honey tone finish, rounded crestrail blending into curved stile ending with gooseh...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- 1920's French Art Deco Goosehead Dining Chairs - Pair CLocated in Charlotte, NCA pair of antique French Art Deco style dining side chairs, unbranded. Solid hardwood with a golden honey tone finish, rounded crestrail blending into curved stile ending with gooseh...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
20th-Century Design Shines at the High Style Deco Auction
New York furniture dealer Howard Williams not only has an eye for top-notch pieces from a range of eras but also meticulously restores them to their original glory.
An Incomparable Trove of Art Deco Treasures Is on View in Miami Beach
Heading to Florida for the art and design fairs in early December? Make time on your schedule to visit a newly opened exhibition that examines the movement's migration from Europe to America, and its evolution from niche to universal appeal.