An Important Pair of Cabinets by Edward Wormley

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An Important Pair of Cabinets by Edward Wormley

About the Item

An important pair of cabinets designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar that were a custom-order for noted Mid Century interior designer, Ethel Pilson-Warren (please read bio information following the item description below). These handsome cases are executed in walnut with sliding doors, brass finger pulls and a single, adjustable interior shelf and are supported by solid brass Parsons-style bases that end in walnut-tipped feet. One shelf is a bit shallower than the other, its cabinet thereby allowing for storage of taller objects up front. Originally advertised/intended by Dunbar as a wall cabinet (the original mounting holes are in place along the rear top edge of each piece), these matching examples were custom-ordered to function as free-standing case pieces. As per the label specifications, they were originally done in a walnut finish and at some later point in time, re-lacquered in black - - the contrast between the ebonized exterior and the warm, walnut interior is simply stunning. The walnut feet still had their original finish (which was worn) so we had them ebonized to match the cases. Fully signed with brass Dunbar tag and Dunbar custom paper label beneath. *PRICED AS A PAIR* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A contemporary of Dorothy Draper, Ethel Pilson-Warren is most famous for her highly-visible role as interior designer of Washington National Airport in 1941 (the airport’s original Terminal, now called Terminal A, is on the National Register of Historic Places). In addition to the interior decoration, she also designed some of the furniture, including aluminum stools and the coffee shop's self-supporting countertop. Her personal philosophy was that "furniture should serve only to complement architecture". She was also partner in a firm (with her son-in-law, architect Joseph W. Rogers Jr.) which was responsible for the interior planning of Washington D.C.'s WTOP Broadcast House (which officially opened in February 1954). You can get a charming video tour here: www.archive.org/details/BroadcastHouse-10february1954 The following excerpt is taken from the airport's National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, which can be viewed in further detail online: "Furnishings also played a strong role in the airport, again highlighting the interior spaces, as opposed to the exterior of the terminal, as the more candid expression of modernism and the modern air-travel experience. Furnishings in the privately operated public-service areas were carefully selected by noted interior designer Ethel Pilson Warren. Warren worked for American Airlines and for Air Terminal Services, Inc., the company charged with the management of National's concessions program. She created all the furnishings, decor, and china/cutlery for the Dining Room and was responsible for American Airlines' two clubrooms at National, one completed in 1941 in the original Terminal, and, another 1950 project in the South Extension. Warren had a strong local reputation and was a vocal advocate of modernism in interior design. Her task at National, as she saw it, 'presented itself not as a problem of mere decoration but of interior design, a styling of the appointments, furniture, fixtures and the interior treatments to conform with the basic character of the building and the frank use of materials for their aesthetic appeal.' In addition, Warren insisted on American products, ideas, and motifs."

Dimensions:
Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 42 in (106.68 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Walnut
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Excellent overall with minor signs of age/use to finish. Finish has been lightly restored/cleaned-up and hand-waxed from top to bottom. The brass bases have been re-lacquered and polished.
Seller Location:
Brooklyn, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: U1104168826150