Find many varieties of an authentic ficks reed campaign available at 1stDibs. A ficks reed campaign — often made from
natural fiber,
rattan and
brass — can elevate any home. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect ficks reed campaign — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. A ficks reed campaign, designed in the
Mid-Century Modern style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. A well-made ficks reed campaign has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by
Ficks Reed and
John Wisner are consistently popular.
Somewhat of an overlooked icon of American design, Ficks Reed was founded by Louis Ficks in 1885 as the National Carriage and Reed Company, a New York purveyor of wicker baby carriages. By the turn of the century, however, the company had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and, under the auspices of Ficks Reed, began manufacturing furniture with wicker, rattan and bamboo.
Over the coming decades, Ficks Reed would benefit from an increased interest in Asian imports, as evidenced in everything from the growing popularity of chinoiserie wallpaper and Chinese porcelain to the Japanese influence in Frank Lloyd Wright’s modern architecture.
The brand was also bolstered by partnerships with several prominent architects and designers throughout the 20th century, including Paul László, Pipsan Saarinen Swanson — creator of the company's Sol-Air Group and elder sister of Eero Saarinen — John B. Wisner, Paul T. Frankl and Dorothy Draper.
Each Ficks Reed partner brought their unique sensibility to the designs — Swanson’s had skeletal frames while Draper, a largely forgotten decorator and pioneer of the Hollywood Regency style, favored more ornate detailing; László created low-slung seats — but all were rendered in the company’s signature wicker and bamboo.
Thanks in large part to the Draper relationship, Ficks Reed furniture has long been a fixture at The Greenbrier and Colony hotels, as well as other luxury properties including the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton resorts and The Breakers in Palm Beach. In 2006, Draper protégé Carleton Varney continued his mentor’s legacy by debuting a new 20-piece collection for Ficks Reed based on her original designs.
A recent resurgence in the popularity of wicker and rattan has given way to newfound demand for Ficks Reed rattan chairs and other furniture in the secondary market, where original vintage pieces are often refinished, repainted or lacquered to further underscore the textural detail of their bamboo and rattan frames.
Find vintage Ficks Reed sofas, tables, armchairs and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.