If it weren’t for his honeymoon, American furniture designer Don S. Shoemaker might not have played any role in Mexican modernism of the mid-20th century.
Born in Nebraska in 1919, Shoemaker studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1930s. In the 1940s he got married, and he and his wife, Barbara, ventured to Mexico for their honeymoon. Enamored with the country, Shoemaker decided that Mexico should become the newlyweds' permanent home. They settled in a town called Santa Maria de Guido in Michoacán, where Shoemaker spent his days painting and growing rare plants.
Through horticulture, Shoemaker became inspired by Mexico’s tropical woods, such as cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to delve into furniture design. In the late 1950s, he started a small factory, producing hand-carved desks, armchairs, dining room tables, decorative boxes and bowls, and serveware. The popularity of Shoemaker’s furnishings grew throughout Mexico, and his small factory became the Señal S.A. company, employing more than 100 skilled artisans and carpenters.
Shoemaker’s handcrafted designs were essentially a mid-century modern interpretation of traditional Mexican household furnishings, and like Clara Porset — an unsung Cuban-born activist, writer and designer who drew on Mexican craft traditions in her concepts for furniture — he found inspiration in his adopted country. These influences can be seen in iconic Shoemaker originals like the Sling collection of seating, the Suspension stool and several of his table designs.
Shoemaker's furniture was exhibited in showrooms in several major Mexican cities and across the U.S., including Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (And mid-century modernist ideas that traveled between Mexico and California didn’t make one-way trips — they bounced back and forth.)
After Shoemaker died in 1990, his son George took over Señal S.A. The company closed after George’s death in the early 2000s.
Shoemaker’s Mexican modern furnishings continue to be coveted by avid furniture collectors around the world. From 2016 to 2017, the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City dedicated a retrospective exhibition to honoring his work.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Don S. Shoemaker desks, seating, decorative objects and serveware.
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
Rare Cocobolo Don Shoemaker Fountain, Organic Mexican Mid-Century Modern, 1960s
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Exceptional one of a kind organic midcentury Mexican modernist fountain designed by Don Shoemaker. Don Shoemaker fountain is made of Cocobolo woo...
Cocobolo
$960Sale Price / item|20% Off
60's Don S Shoemaker for Senal Carved Rosewood Tic-tac-toe Game Mexico Sculpture
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Fantastic hand made Don S. Shoemaker designed tic-tac-toe game for Senal and dates from the 1960's. Made of beautiful rosewood. Has the original artists tag on the bottom. The game i...
Wood, Rosewood
$200Sale Price|20% Off
Early Vintage Rosewood Salt and Pepper Shaker Set by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker, Senal
Located in San Jose, CA
Mid Century Modern abstract salt and pepper shakers designed by Don Shoemaker for Señal, S.A. Mexico. This set is handmade in rosewood with unique brass ring dispensers that makes fo...
Brass
$220Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 2 in W 4 in D 1.5 in
Mid Century Rosewood “Elephant” Salt & Pepper Shakers
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Wear consistent with age and use. As a vintage item, light cosmetic wear might be present but with no structural damage. Wear consistent with age and use.
Rosewood
$176Sale Price|20% Off
H 3 in W 5.25 in D 3 in
Wilhelm Wagenfeld Bauhaus Salt and Pepper Shakers New in Box 1950s
By Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Located in San Diego, CA
Wilhelm Wagenfeld glass and stainless steel salt and Pepper Shakers, 1952. Produced by WMF of Germany. Selected for the MoMA Good Design Exhibition and part of their permanent colle...
Stainless Steel
$319Sale Price / set|24% Off
H 2.75 in Dm 1.5 in
Pair of Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Salt & Pepper Shaker
Located in Sheffield, MA
Faneuil by Tiffany & Co. sterling silver salt shaker and pepper mill set. Simple elegance, Salt shaker 1.5" D x 2.25" H. OFFERING FREE SHIPPING TO CONTINENTAL US. PLEASE JUST ASK FO...
Sterling Silver
Don Shoemaker Bookends for Señal
By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
Born in Nebraska, Don S. Shoemaker studied painting at The Fine Arts Institution of Chicago. In the late 1940s, he moved to Mexico with his family and settled in Santa Maria de Guido...
Hardwood
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 8 in W 2.32 in D 3 in
1960s Emil Milan Rosewood Brass Table Lighter Sculpture American Studio Craft
By Emil Milan
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderful and rare large table lighter by Emil Milan in E.T. rosewood. Lighter is not functioning, will need flint and fuel.
Wood
Wonderful Modernist Kenetic Motion Copper Fountain / Water Feature, Hand Made
Located in Buffalo, NY
Ingenious copper fountain / water feature, solid copper construction, Modernist design Artisan made, hand executed. Sculpture in motion, great for garden, or indoor space.
Copper
$24,325
H 12.21 in W 10.63 in D 5.91 in
Meissen style porcelain and gilt bronze table fountain by Samson
Located in London, GB
This colourful porcelain table fountain, fashioned in the German Meissen style, was crafted in the 19th Century by the French porcelain company Samson et Cie. The table fountain co...
Ormolu
$2,750
H 12.75 in W 15.5 in D 22.5 in
American Giant Stone Frog with Patina, Originally Used as a Fountain
Located in Atlanta, GA
An American giant stone frog from the 20th century, with great patina. Made in the USA in 1987, this giant stone stone frog used to be a fountain (notice the remnants of a pipe below...
Stone
$6,520Sale Price|75% Off
H 45.28 in W 33.47 in D 7.88 in
Hispanic Filipino Crucified Christ Carved Wood Sculpture
Located in Valladolid, ES
One of a kind sculpture of Crucified Christ in carved wood and crystal eyes (one of them its loose), 18th century Hispano Filipino School. The crown, ...
Silver
$190Sale Price|60% Off
H 4 in W 10.75 in D 10.75 in
Vintage Van Teal Lucite Tic Tac Toe Set, Circa 1970
By Hivo Van Teal
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large Van Teal style lucite Tic Tac Toc set from the 1070´s. Thick lucite set with curved edges. Perfect gaming and conversation piece for your coffee table or play room. Sizewise...
Lucite
Copper Mermaid Fountain by Glen Mayo
By Glen Mayo
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Whimsical fountain sculpture, of copper, by metal artist Glen Mayo; its mermaid focal point holding a leaf which cascades water down the fountain, among turtles, angel fish, other se...
Copper
$14,800
H 54.5 in W 28 in D 31 in
American Cast Bronze Garden Fountain with Figural Boy Holding Koi Fish. C. 1870
Located in Charleston, SC
American cast bronze garden fountain with standing figural boy holding Koi fish on a two-tiered shell form scrolled base with turtle at his feet, Late 19th century.
Bronze, Copper
Vintage Cocobolo Salt and Pepper Shaker Set by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker, Senal
Located in San Jose, CA
Mid-Century Modern abstract salt and pepper shakers designed by Don Shoemaker for Señal, S.A. Mexico. This set is handmade in an exotic cocobolo wood displaying rich smooth grains fo...
Cocobolo
Nutcracker by Don Shoemaker
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Wonderful zoomorphic nutcracker with a great whimsical yet modern shape, made by Don Shoemaker in the 1960s.
Don Shoemaker Hinged Cocobolo Box
By Don S. Shoemaker
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Worn to the point where the wood is velvet smooth this box was made by Don Shoemaker in the 1960s. It's one of those things you don't wanna put down. The hinge is designed so the b...