Raymond Loewy for Mengel Cerused Oak Dresser, circa 1955, Restored, Signed
View Similar Items
Raymond Loewy for Mengel Cerused Oak Dresser, circa 1955, Restored, Signed
About the Item
- Creator:Raymond Loewy (Designer),Mengel Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 59 in (149.86 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1955
- Condition:Refinished. Excellent restored condition, see description for more details.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1330231465212
Raymond Loewy
For those in the know, French-born American industrial designer Raymond Loewy is the “father of streamlining.” He is widely recognized as a pioneer of industrial design consulting — a creative powerhouse who took aim at cluttered designs and simplified them. Loewy left his mark on everything from toothbrushes to trashcans to spacecraft interiors. He designed cars, worked in illustration, and crafted comely dressers and other furniture.
Loewy was born in Paris, France. At age 15, he designed a model airplane that was powered by rubber bands. It won the James Gordon Bennett Cup of 1908. Loewy patented the model kit for this plane by the following year and saw brisk sales. With his savings, Loewy was able to study at the University of Paris and then at Ecole de Lanneau, where he earned an engineering degree in 1918.
Loewy moved to New York City in 1919 and found work as a window designer for the department stores Macy's, Wanamaker's and Saks and as a fashion illustrator for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Loewy’s big break in industrial design came in 1929 when he altered the Gestetner duplicating machine — removing jutting parts and encasing the moving works in an understated cover. It caused a sensation within the industry — and companies began to call on him.
Loewy designed packaging for Coca-Cola and revised the look of Lucky cigarettes. The “Loewy Look,” which referred to the designer’s efforts to strip a product of any unnecessary detail and streamline its appearance, began to characterize hundreds of products.
Loewy found clients in a dizzying number of companies. He did everything from retooling logos to redesigning products. His 1934 Sears Coldspot refrigerator was a sleek innovation that broke sales records. His Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive resembled a speeding bullet and was the darling of the 1939 World’s Fair. Loewy even reworked shapes for snacks at Nabisco. By the time World War II gathered steam, Raymond Loewy Associates — the industrial design firm he founded — had been operating in a number of American cities. When Time magazine featured him on the cover in October 1949 — Loewy was not shy about publicity — his profile soared.
Loewy worked with Studebaker for decades. The success of their 1953 Starliner coupe was due to his revolutionary design, while their 1963 futuristic, fiberglass-bodied Avanti, which came with advanced safety features and materialized at a time when the company was experiencing financial hardship, was his crowning achievement for the maker.
Returning to his roots in aviation, Loewy worked for NASA from 1967 to 1973 on the interior design of the Skylab space station. He was also involved in the interior designs of the Concorde supersonic jet and Air Force One. Loewy delighted in creating furniture and collaborated with manufacturers such as Mengel Furniture, Rosenthal and Doubinsky Frères. In the 1970s, Loewy and his wife shuttered their businesses and retired in France.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Raymond Loewy cabinets, serveware, seating and more.
- Harvey Probber Dresser, Credenza or Sideboard, c 1960, Refinished, SignedBy Harvey ProbberLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis classy and sophisticated dresser, which would also work great as a sideboard or credenza, was crafted by Harvey Probber, circa 1960, just completed restoration, and is signed wi...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
$4,400 Sale Price20% Off - Restored William Hinn Anthropomorphic Highboy Dresser, 1950s Sweden, SignedBy Urban FurnitureLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis anthropomorphic William Hinn for Urban Furniture 'Exoskeleton' highboy dresser was originally crafted in the 1950s in Sweden, is stamped (signed) on the back, and has just compl...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
$10,900 Sale Price22% Off - 'Taliesin' Mahogany Dresser / Sideboard by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1955, SignedBy Heritage-Henredon, Frank Lloyd WrightLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis refinished Honduran Mahogany 'Taliesin' dresser / sideboard was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Heritage-Henredon in 1955 and produced only for two years, therefore is now a ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMahogany
$8,800 Sale Price20% Off - T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Refinished Dresser / Credenza 1950s, SignedBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis elegant refinished dresser by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb (USA) features gorgeous walnut grain with three drawers and one cabinet door, all with integrated pulls. Signe...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
$3,700 Sale Price22% Off - Important Double Dresser by Vladimir Kagan for Kagan-Dreyfuss, 1950s, SignedBy Kagan-Dreyfuss, Inc., Vladimir KaganLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis very rare and important sculptural double dresser was designed by Vladimir Kagan and handcrafted by Kagan-Dreyfuss Inc during the 1950s in New York. Each of the two chests are s...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
$49,700 Sale Price22% Off - Cork Sideboard / Dresser by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture, c. 1950s, SignedBy Johnson Furniture Company, Paul FranklLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis restored Paul T. Frankl for Johnson Furniture sideboard cabinet or dresser, circa 1950s, features beautiful refinished Mahogany and cork with brass x-shaped pulls and is signed ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
$5,440 Sale Price20% Off
- Low Oak Dresser by Raymond Loewy for MengelBy Raymond Loewy, Mengel Furniture Co.Located in Dorchester, MARaymond Loewy designed this clean-lined dresser for the Mengel Furniture Company. Solidly constructed of a handsomely grained oak, it has four dr...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsAluminum
- Rare Raymond Loewy for Mengel Six Drawer Dresser In White OakBy Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond LoewyLocated in Chicago, ILRaymond Loewy (French 1893-1986) was a prolific designer of everything from Studebaker cars and the interior of J.F.K.’s Airforce One airplane to the Lucky Strike circular logo to F...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWrought Iron
- Raymond Loewy for Mengel Mid-Century Secretary Highboy DresserBy Raymond Loewy, Mengel Furniture Co.Located in Countryside, ILRaymond Loewy for Mengel mid-century secretary highboy dresser. This dresser measures: 36 wide x 19 deep x 47.5 inches high. All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMetal
- Raymond Loewy for Mengel Black Lacquered Highboy Dresser, Newly RefinishedBy Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond LoewyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous Mid-Century Modern six-drawer highboy dresser or chest of drawers By Raymond Loewy for Mengel Furniture USA, 1950s Black lacquered oak, with original aluminum har...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Raymond Loewy for Mengel Ebonized Four Drawer Dresser, USA, c. 1950'sBy Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond LoewyLocated in Deland, FLSimple. Understated. This exquisite dresser was designed by Raymond Loewy, one of the most famous industrial designers of the mid-century era, and manufactured by Mengel. It is const...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsOak
- Raymond Loewy, Dresser, Oak, USA, 1950sBy Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond LoewyLocated in High Point, NCAn oak dresser designed by Raymond Loewy and produced by Mengel Furniture Co, USA, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsOak
