Paul McCobb Mid-Century Modern Tall Gentleman's Chest of Drawers - Calvin Group
About the Item
- Creator:Calvin Furniture (Manufacturer),Paul McCobb (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 52 in (132.08 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. To be refinished prior to shipping , polished brass. Custom color options available.
- Seller Location:St. Louis, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU82021066606
Paul McCobb
The single aesthetic attribute of vintage Paul McCobb furniture is that the designer completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — McCobb’s chairs, desks and dining tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — his mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
You could call the Massachusetts-born McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers.
Like the work of Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer besides Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show.
McCobb, a repeat recipient of the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art, also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” He designed for several companies, most notably Directional, which was home to McCobb’s Origami chair.
In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company, a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere. Directional opened its doors after McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York-based Modernage Company. Directional also produced designs by other legends such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a decor: an essential.
Find vintage Paul McCobb credenzas, bookcases, nightstands and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Calvin Furniture
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company Calvin Furniture opened its doors in 1953 and became a sought-after contract manufacturer for the day’s top furniture designers and brands. Its appealing mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency offerings — nightstands, dressers and more — graced the showrooms of department stores all over North America during the 1950s and 1960s.
Calvin’s relationship with the work of Massachusetts-born designer Paul McCobb is well known to enthusiasts of mid-century modern furniture. McCobb, whose unadorned and efficient storage pieces, seating and desks drew on Shaker simplicity and Bauhaus minimalism, wasn’t exactly a designer for Calvin — in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company in Manhattan in 1949, and Calvin was one of the manufacturers contracted to produce the furniture he designed for Directional (and later, for pieces designed under his own name).
Among McCobb’s most acclaimed lines made by Calvin Furniture were the Calvin Group and the Irwin Collection. The travertine-topped sideboards and mahogany nightstands of those lines as well as the other Calvin-produced dressers, bookcases and chests of drawers designed by McCobb were elegant and spare, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Calvin also manufactured the very popular American Design Foundation line of furniture that Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall designed. The Pennsylvania-born, California-raised MacDougall enjoyed a postwar collaboration with West Coast native Stewart that resulted in great success with manufacturers such as Glenn of California and Drexel Furniture. The duo’s celebrated Declaration line for the latter featured streamlined credenzas, dressers and more made in walnut with comely porcelain hardware. The dining chairs, tables and coffee tables manufactured by Calvin flaunt the pair’s signature clean lines, gentle curves and organic shapes.
In the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Calvin Furniture continued its business relationship with B.G. Mesberg National Sales and Directional Furniture. Calvin finally closed their doors during the early 1970s, but their legacy can be found in enduring pieces of modern furniture that remain popular today.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of vintage Calvin Furniture tables, credenzas, chairs and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: St. Louis, MO
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Pair of MCM Paul McCobb for Planner Group Blond Maple Three-Drawer ChestsBy Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOAll original pair of Paul McCobb Planner Group chest / dressers for Winchendon. Three drawers, brass cone pulls on tapered legs. Touched up original finish. Can be ebonized for addit...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMaple
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Brass X-Base Eight-Drawer DresserBy Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOPaul McCobb for Calvin Group fully restored eight-drawer dresser with brass cross stretcher. Mahogany refinished in espresso, original knobs butler brass plated and brass X-base poli...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMahogany
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Dining Table with Brass X Cross Support, CustomizableBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOPhilippine Mahogany dining table with brass X stretcher between tapered legs, designed by Paul McCobb, part of his Irwin collection for Calvin. Includes two 15" extension leaves, len...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
- 1950s Paul McCobb for Planner Group Mid-Century Modern Loveseat Settee or SofaBy Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOPaul McCobb for Planner Group loveseat, settee or sofa. Upholstery needs to be updated as it has stains, foam is good. Price includes refinishing of legs. Measures: Seat 16" H, arm 1...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Console Table with White Vitrolite Top and Brass FrameBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOMid-Century Modern console table or server designed by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture, part of his Irwin collection. Console has two drawers and two lower shelves in mahogany that ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Dining Table with Brass X Cross Support Pick your FinishBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MODesigned by Paul McCobb for his Irwin collection for Calvin, this Philippine Mahogany dining table has brass X stretcher between tapered legs, includes two 12" extension leaves. Leng...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb Gentleman's Tall Chest Irwin Collection for Calvin Furniture, 1956By Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Camden, MEPaul McCobb's gentleman's walnut chest with a fold down mirror Irwin line for Calvin. The accordion doors are bookmatched veneer opening to 18 shirt shelves and five graduated drawe...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut, Mirror
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Gentleman's Highboy DresserBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Gentleman's Highboy Dresser This highboy measures: 36 wide x 19.25 deep x 52.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call re...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
- Paul McCobb Calvin Group Bachelor Chest/Media CentreBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Wilmington, DEOffered is bachelor chest made by Paul McCobb for the Calvin Group. It is made of walnut with aluminum inserts. It has been completely restored/refinished.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture Gentleman's ChestBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful vintage walnut gentleman's chest designed by Paul McCobb for his iconic mid-century modern series by Calvin Furniture. Framed in a beautifully grained walnut veneer, this i...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Linear Group Chest of Drawers by Paul McCobb for Calvin FurnitureBy Paul McCobbLocated in Deland, FLDesigned by Paul McCobb and manufactured by Calvin Furniture, this four-drawer dresser features aluminum accents and slender drawer pulls that emphasize its clean lines and beautiful...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Paul McCobb Irwin Collection Black Lacquered Gentleman's Chest, Newly RefinishedBy Directional, Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in South Bend, INAn exceptional Mid-Century Modern gentleman's chest of drawers By Paul McCobb for Directional and produced by Calvin Furniture, "Irwin Collection" USA, 1950s Black lacquered...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMirror, Mahogany, Lacquer