Tomlinson Secretaires
Pay a visit to the town of High Point, North Carolina — long the capital of American-made furniture — and, from nearly any location in the city, you’ll see a tall smokestack bearing the name Tomlinson. It’s a name with deep roots there: In 1901, Sidney Halstead Tomlinson, Sr., and his brother founded the Tomlinson Chair Manufacturing Co., producing adaptations of 19th-century European antiques for an enthusiastic American audience. Later the Tomlinson Furniture Company grew rapidly over the ensuing decades, becoming a significant contributor to High Point’s thriving manufacturing economy.
Although Tomlinson began with a focus on antique-style furniture, by the middle of the century the company had adopted aesthetics from the modern style that was rapidly growing in popularity around the world.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Tomlinson Furniture produced coffee tables, storage cabinets and seating in the low-slung, sleek silhouettes that were typically characteristic of what we now know as mid-century modern designs.
Working with designers like John Lubberts and Lambert Mulder, the company experimented with materials like woven cane and unique styles such as neoclassical lounge chairs in cherrywood that were seen as thoughtful modern interpretations of Biedermeier furniture.
During the mid-1950s, Tomlinson Furniture introduced its dramatic and decorative Sophisticate line, a collection of case pieces, seating, tables and more, available in a variety of woods. Today, designs that originated in the collection, such as its pecan-framed chairs with seats and backs of woven leather straps, are increasingly sought after by collectors.
Find vintage Tomlinson furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century American Chippendale Tomlinson Secretaires
Brass
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Tomlinson Secretaires
Teak
1770s English Chippendale Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Wood
19th Century American Country Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Mahogany
1920s Swedish Chippendale Vintage Tomlinson Secretaires
Oak
1740s English George II Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Mahogany
1780s English Chippendale Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Brass
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tomlinson Secretaires
Metal
1770s American Chippendale Antique Tomlinson Secretaires
Brass