Paul McCobb for Calvin Ebonized Mahogany Extension Bar Serving Cart
View Similar Items
Paul McCobb for Calvin Ebonized Mahogany Extension Bar Serving Cart
About the Item
- Creator:Paul McCobb (Designer),Calvin Furniture (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 40.25 in (102.24 cm)Depth: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Refinished. Newly finished condition.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1560223797262
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.
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Concealed Mahogany DresserBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern, streamlined, mahogany dresser by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture: The Irwin Collection features bi-fold doors that open to reveal four 5 inch height drawers that...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Ebonized Mahogany Concealed Dresser By Paul McCobb, Irwin Collection, CalvinBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-century modern, double-wide, credenza configuration, concealed mahogany dresser by Paul McCobb, Irwin Collection for Calvin Furniture features accordian fronts that open to revea...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Mahogany End Table by Paul McCobb for Calvin, Irwin CollectionBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern, bleached mahogany, end table by Paul McCobb for Calvin, Irwin Collection features a leather top with brass trim, caned lower shelf and nickel plated brass pulls. ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb, Irwin Collection for Calvin Wall Unit Hutch CredenzaBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern, two piece, walnut and brass, wall unit hutch credenza by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture, Irwin Collection features a bottom crede...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb for Planner Group Winchendon Modular Ebonized Maple DresserBy Planner Group, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-Century Modern, modular dresser system by Paul McCobb for Planner Group, Winchendon features two 24 x 18 x 8.5 inch dressers with signature aluminu...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsAluminum
- Paul McCobb Planner Group Ebonized Maple Side End TablesBy Winchendon, Paul McCobb, Planner GroupLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of Classic Mid-Century Modern, maple side tables by Paul McCobb for Planner Group, Winchendon feature an ebonized finish.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Midcentury Brass and Mahogany Serving Bar CartBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin midcentury Brass and Mahogany Serving Bar Cart This bar cart measures: 40 wide x 20 deep x 30 inches high, each drop leaf measures 20 inches making a maximu...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBrass
- Rare Midcentury Paul McCobb Bar Tea Serving Cart Maple Iron Planner GroupBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in BROOKLYN, NYRare Midcentury bar cart #1250 designed by Paul McCobb for planner group collection, circa 1950's. This gorgeous piece is all original and complete. Featuring one small drawer and 2 ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
MaterialsIron
$2,740 Sale Price60% Off - Stunning Bleeched Mahogany and Cork Server / Bar Cart attrib Robsjohn GibbingsBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Buffalo, NYStunning Bleeched Mahogany and Cork Server / Bar Cart attributed to T.H. Robsjohn- Gibbings for Widdicomb.. Wonderful original cork top. Amazing patina ,color and surface.. Bleached ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Midcentury McGuire Faux Bamboo Bar CartBy McGuireLocated in Palm Beach, FLDynamic faux bamboo bar cart with well grained oak panels, reed wrapped corners, finished all around, recessed casters and slide out service space. Signed McGuire in the drawer.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
MaterialsReed, Oak
- Flip Top Bar Cart for Bruksbo Norway Designed by Torbjorn AfdalBy Torbjørn Afdal, BruksboLocated in Antwerp, BEMid-Century Modern “flip top”, bar cabinet/ cart by Torbjorn Afdal for Mellemstrands Møbelfabrik / Bruksbo of Norway, circa 1960s. Featuring in teak, with a fully finished back and...Category
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Serving Tables
MaterialsBrass
$6,657 Sale Price20% Off - Paul McCobb for Calvin MCM Ebonized Mahogany Brass and White Laminate DeskBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin mid century ebonized mahogany brass and white laminate desk Desk measures: 54.5 wide x 26 deep x 29 inches high, with a cha...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass