Pair of Mahogany End Tables by Widdicomb
View Similar Items
Pair of Mahogany End Tables by Widdicomb
About the Item
- Creator:Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 17131stDibs: LU89381215268
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 Mid Century Modern travertine end Tables by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in BROOKLYN, NYPair of Mid Century Modern End Tables by Widdicomb Furniture Co Grand Rapids, MI. Travertine tops with carved wood lower table structure. Widdicomb labels on the underside of tables....Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Spectacular Pair of Mediterranean Style End or Coffee Tables by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Atlanta, GAA truly cutting-edge pair of end tables with reverse gilt glass tops by Widdicomb, circa 1960s. Wonderful resin insert side panels replicate the look of stone. This unusual series is...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsResin, Wood
- Pair of Robsjohn Gibbings Parsons End Tables for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Chicago, ILUnderstated Parsons form end tables by Robsjohn Gibbings. Price is for the pair (2 pieces). Wear to the finish and some lose and damage to veneer. Please request additional photos. ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Rectangle Light Walnut Klismos End Side Tables by Gibings for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Rockaway, NJPair of Rectangle Light Walnut Klismos End Side Tables by Gibings for Widdicomb MINT!Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Gorgeous Restored Pair of End Tables by Widdicomb in Cream Lacquer, circa 1938By Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Atlanta, GAAn elegant and rare pair of end tables (series number 1110) by Widdicomb, circa 1938. Stout mahogany construction with exquisite case and foot detail. Fabulous nickel screen accent i...Category
Vintage 1930s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsNickel
- Widdicomb Walnut Parquetry Top End TableBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILA very special side table, by Widdicomb Furniture, post-T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings. It features an ash rift-cut, diamond-shaped parquetry top, surrounded by a wooden gallery edge, and a ...Category
Vintage 1960s American End Tables
MaterialsAsh