Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Over the course of nearly seven decades, Charak Furniture Company produced exemplary reproductions of 18th-century-era furniture, including works created in the American colonial and Georgian styles, as well as sophisticated mid-century modern pieces made by the likes of German furniture designer and painter Tommi Parzinger.
Charak was established in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1919. It earned a reputation for exceptional design and durability, and the 1920s were a period of high production for the brand. Charak was a leading manufacturer of reproductions of early American furniture that was influenced by Queen Anne– and Georgian–era design, including secretaries, dressers and cabinets with exquisite details like accented moldings, carved finials, recessed door panels, claw feet and other embellishments.
While the Great Depression put many furniture manufacturers out of business, Charak Furniture Company weathered the era’s difficulties. In fact, during the 1930s, it introduced one of its most enduringly popular dining tables: the drop leaf Danbury table. The solid mahogany table, which features four leaves to comfortably accommodate larger dining parties as necessary, is supported by four slender and elegantly curving legs, a wonderful example of the company's furniture from this era.
In the 1950s, Charak Furniture Company continued to thrive by shifting production to suit modern tastes. It worked with designers like Donald Deskey and Tommi Parzinger to develop collections that boast the clean lines and sleek silhouettes that characterized many of the period’s designs. The collaborations proved fruitful and prolific. The company’s rare revival and mid-century modern pieces have considerable appeal for today’s collectors.
In its heyday, Charak Furniture Company had showrooms in Chicago and New York City. Today, a 1958 desk designed by Deskey is part of the permanent collection at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
On 1stDibs, find an array of vintage Charak Furniture Company tables, storage cabinets, seating and more.
20th Century American Chippendale Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Brass
Late 20th Century American Chinoiserie Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Brass
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Bronze
Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Wood
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Teak
1950s French Vintage Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Elm
1790s American Hepplewhite Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Brass
Late 19th Century Eastlake Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Dutch Antique Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Oak, Paint
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Walnut, Burl
20th Century Unknown Georgian Charak Furniture Company Secretaires
Wood
