Conant Ball Furniture
While the Conant Ball Company was initially known for its reproductions of period furniture in the Colonial style, the Massachusetts manufacturer eventually garnered national recognition as a leader in the production of solid rock maple dressers, tables and other pieces as well as for its popular modernist collections such as its large Sierra line designed by Colman Zola and its American Modern collection created by Russell Wright.
In the 1800s, the small town of Gardner, Massachusetts, saw a boom in start-up furniture factories. There was Westminster transplant Nichols and Stone, Standard Chair of Gardner Inc. — a maker of American Craftsman-style furnishings — Heywood-Wakefield, which moved into the manufacture of furniture with steam-bent wood frames and cane or wicker seating, and later, what was once the largest chair in the world was built in the city to attract tourists and to sell …chairs.
Conant Ball’s first product was its chairs — there were inviting chairs with woven cane seats and the company later earned acclaim for its Windsor designs. But before it got its name in 1909, there was a chair shop called Jackson & Greenwood. Abner and Leander White purchased the modest-sized business and renamed it A. White and Co. John Conant and his brother Charles joined later and it eventually operated under the name Conant Brothers and Co. Later, the firm’s name changed again with the addition of Carlos Ball, who helmed the company’s Boston location. Between Conant’s and Ball’s passings in 1891 and 1909, Charles Brooks and a succession of family members took the company into the 20th century as Conant Ball Co.
Conant Ball’s comely mid-century modern furniture — its low-profile lounge chairs, sleek tables and more — owe to partnerships with designers such as Leslie Diamond and Russel Wright.
Diamond and Wright created a variety of solid wood furniture including dining room chairs, side tables and dressers. The former created a line called ModernMates that featured solid birch office chairs, nightstands and dining chairs with curved spindle backs, while Wright, who had created some Art Deco furnishings for Heywood-Wakefield, designed charming, light-colored maple furniture called American Modern for Conant Ball. The name is said to have been given to him by his romantic partner — in 1927, Wright married artist and sculptor Mary Einstein. Under her guidance, Wright's attractive, functional designs for the home gained renown, leading to commissions by prestigious companies like the Steubenville Pottery Company.
Conant Ball’s momentum slowed in 1986 and ownership changed hands once more. By 1990, the firm would no longer produce furniture under its own name.
Find antique Conant Ball tables, chairs, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Maple
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Maple
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Maple
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Wood, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Walnut
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Conant Ball Furniture
Brass
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Walnut
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Conant Ball Furniture
Teak
Conant Ball furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
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- Who made Russel Wright pottery?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertJanuary 27, 2025The Steubenville Pottery Company made Russel Wright pottery. Russel Wright was a furniture maker as well as an industrial designer. Steubenville began producing his line of pottery in 1939. Production continued for two decades. On 1stDibs, find an assortment of Russel Wright pottery.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023A cannonball bed is called that because of the round finials found on the bed posts. Legend has it that American furniture manufacturers got the inspiration for the design when the colonists began sanding the bedposts into round ball shapes as a sign that they supported the revolutionary movement. Shop a range of cannonball beds on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022No, Conant Ball is not still in business as of January 2022. The company closed in 1980. However, the furniture is still popular among collectors. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Conant Ball furniture from some of the world’s top sellers.