Russel Wright For Conant Ball Dining Table And Six Chairs
View Similar Items
Russel Wright For Conant Ball Dining Table And Six Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Russel Wright (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 66 in (167.64 cm)Depth: 42 in (106.68 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 7
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950's
- Condition:Very good.
- Seller Location:Pasadena, TX
- Reference Number:Seller: MR73261stDibs: U12042186711274
Russel Wright
While industrial designer Russell Wright may be known to modern furniture enthusiasts for his streamlined end tables, dining chairs and other pieces, he is universally revered for a line of tableware he created called American Modern. Efficient, practical, and striking in their elegant forms and warm colors, the American Modern ceramic pieces, which included bowls, pitchers, dishes, and other items, became the best-selling dinnerware of all time. Today, vintage Russell Wright American Modern tableware is an evergreen favorite of art collectors and interior designers alike.
Born in 1904 in Ohio, Wright was surrounded by inspiration for the furniture he would one day design. He was raised in a Quaker household and grew up with the spare, meticulously handcrafted furniture for which the Quakers are known. As a young man, he studied art and sculpture at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the Art Students League of New York, going on to study law at Princeton University in New Jersey. But Wright loved the arts and abandoned his pursuit of a law degree to create stage sets in Princeton and Paris alongside fellow noted designer Norman Bel Geddes.
In 1927, Wright married artist and sculptor Mary Einstein. Together, they moved to New York City, where Wright began to create sculptures. Mary convinced him to create metal bookends from his sculptures, and later, when he began to craft bar accessories from chrome, he turned to aluminum, a much cheaper material for the purposes of mass production (his barware was eventually included in the "Machine Art" show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1934, which was curated by Philip Johnson).
Mary worked on marketing Russell's products, successfully proposing everyday uses for Wright's beautifully designed housewares. She is said to have been a pioneer in the world of lifestyle marketing, coining the terms "American Modern" and "blonde" to describe the charming, light-colored maple furniture he created for Conant Ball, which was known at the time for its reproductions of American Colonial furniture.
While Wright had created some Art Deco furnishings for Heywood-Wakefield, it was this group of bedroom furniture for Conant Ball that got its name, American Modern, from Mary. Under her guidance, Wright's attractive, functional designs for the home gained renown, leading to commissions by prestigious companies like the Steubenville Pottery Company.
In 1935, Wright formed Russell Wright Associates with Irving Richards, an entrepreneur who had worked with Lightolier and would later establish Raymor. In collaboration with Richards, Wright debuted the first line of American Modern dinnerware in 1939, which was initially produced by Russell Wright Associates and then manufactured by Steubenville for two decades. The line sold over 200 million pieces during its 20 years of production. In 1955, Wright was selected by the U.S. State Department to research handicraft industries in Southeast Asia, a trip that influenced his later designs.
Throughout his life, Wright continued to design furniture and housewares, with the works' signature earth tones, curved forms, and clean silhouettes of his floor lamps, lounge chairs, and serveware remaining popular staples in American households. In his later years, he focused on designing and building his home, Manitoga, and working with the National Parks Service to develop the "Summer in the Parks" program.
Upon Wright's death in 1974, Manitoga was given to the Nature Conservancy. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and today houses the Russell & Mary Wright Design Gallery, where many of Wright's works stand on permanent display. In 2011, stamps from the U.S. Postal Service featured Wright's image as one of the United States' twelve most influential industrial designers.
Find vintage Russel Wright lighting, seating, tables, serveware, ceramics and glass on 1stDibs.
- Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Dining Table and Six ChairsBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Pasadena, TXA Mid-Century Modern dining table and six armchairs designed by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin. The dining table has a chrome base and 3/4" glass top. Six armchairs with chrome fr...Category
Vintage 1970s North American Dining Room Sets
MaterialsChrome
$9,520 Sale Price / set20% Off - 53" Knoll Platner Dining Table and ChairsBy Knoll, Warren PlatnerLocated in Pasadena, TXKnoll platner dining table and chairs In 1966, the Platner Collection captured the “decorative, gentle, graceful” shapes that were b...Category
Late 20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsChrome
$15,920 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage Mid-Century Leslie Diamond for Conant Ball Lounge Chair (MR15029)By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Conant Ball, Leslie DiamondLocated in Pasadena, TXVintage Leslie Diamond for Conant Ball chair. Classic lounge armchair in the style of TH Robsjohn Gibbings, circa 1954. Maple, restored. Measures: 32...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMaple
$1,520 Sale Price20% Off - Mid Century Danish Dropleaf Storage Table and ChairsLocated in Pasadena, TXMid Century Modern Space Saver Minimalist Hide Away Dropleaf Table and Chairs Functional Danish design set. Ideal for those...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsTeak
- Vintage Six '6' Italian Dining ChairsBy Gio PontiLocated in Pasadena, TXVintage Mid-Century set of six (6) dining chair. Grey vinyl upholstered seat and back. Wood frame with chrome corners, circa 1960s. Measures: 17.5" W x 21" D x 38" H. 18" SH....Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWool
$2,080 Sale Price28% Off - Vintage Six '6' Italian Dining ChairsBy Gio PontiLocated in Pasadena, TXVintage mid-century set of six (6) dining chair Grey faux leather upholstered seat and back. Tapered legs with chrome details. circa 1960s. Measures: 17.5" W x 21" D x 38" H....Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWool
$2,080 Sale Price / set20% Off
- Russel Wright for Conant Ball Solid Maple Side TableBy Russel Wright, Conant BallLocated in Philadelphia, PARussel Wright for Conant Ball 2-tier Side Table. Solid Maple. Recently refinished. Maker's mark to underside! Solid and useful!Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Russel Wright for Conant Ball Mid Century Maple NightstandBy Conant Ball, Russel WrightLocated in Countryside, ILRussel Wright for Conant Ball Mid Century Maple nightstand This nightstand measures: 22 wide x 19 deep x 25 inches high All pieces of furn...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMaple
- Mid-Century Modern Corner Table by Russel Wright for Conant BallBy Russel WrightLocated in Philadelphia, PASculptural, Mid-Century Modern, tiered maple, corner side table by Russel Wright for Conant ball features a carved edge to create a corner in between sofas or chairs. The bottom tier...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Russel Wright for Conant Ball Solid Maple Coffee and Side Table, Classic ModernBy Russel Wright, Conant BallLocated in Buffalo, NYRussel Wright for Conant Ball Solid Maple Coffee and Side Table, Classic Modern Design,, End / side table measures 28" x !8" x 22" h.. Can be sold separated,, ? Please inquire,, Hand...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Coffee Table Designed by Russel WrightBy Russel WrightLocated in Stamford, CTMid-Century Modern Conant ball coffee table designed by Russel Wright. The Elliptical Coffee Table With Curled Edge is a sleek and stylish example of this designers work in a grained maple. USA, c. 1955 Impressed manufacturer's mark to underside 'Conant Ball Furniture Makers'.Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Modernist Russel Wright Square Tables by Conant BallBy Leslie Diamond, Conant BallLocated in Dallas, TXThis stylish pair of Mid Century Modern side or end tables designed by Russel Wright. Part of the widely popular "Modernmates" series manufactured by Conant Ball of Massachusetts, ci...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood