Pair of John Widdicomb Burl Veneer and Brass Nightstands / Commodes
View Similar Items
Pair of John Widdicomb Burl Veneer and Brass Nightstands / Commodes
About the Item
- Creator:Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: DUF02891stDibs: LU977931853032
Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Admirers of vintage mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize the Widdicomb Furniture Company name for the fruitful partnerships it forged with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. But there is more to the Widdicomb story than the albeit quite covetable sofas and bedroom furniture it produced during the middle of the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The American city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Today vintage Widdicomb seating, tables and other pieces produced during the postwar years are particularly sought after by collectors of mid-20th-century furniture.
In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Find vintage Widdicomb coffee tables, case pieces, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
- Pair of John Widdicomb Burl Veneer and Brass Nightstands / CommodesBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYPair of American mid-century nightstands / commodes with a burl wood veneer, single drawer with brass pulls, and two cabinet doors with brass pulls below. (John Widdicomb)(Priced as ...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Pair of Widdicomb Modern Blond Maple Tall Single-Door Cabinet / NightstandsBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYPair of American mid-century blond maple nightstands / tall cabinets with a single compartment concealed by a hinged door with a brass ring door pull. (WIDDICOMB MODERN)(PRICED AS PA...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMetal, Bronze
- Pair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid-Century Walnut CommodesBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in New York, NYPAIR of American Mid-Century walnut bedside tables / commodes with an open lower compartment and an upper single drawer. (T.H. ROBSJOHN-GIBBINGS FOR WIDDICOMB FURNITURE CO.)(PRICED A...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWood, Walnut
- Widdicomb Modern Three Drawer Dark Stained Walnut NightstandBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYAmerican mid-century dark stained walnut bedside table / nightstand with three drawers with circular wooden drawer pulls resting on four square leg...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWood, Walnut, Paint
- Widdicomb Modern Three Drawer Beige Painted Wooden NightstandBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYAmerican Mid-Century beige painted walnut bedside table / nightstand with three drawers with circular beige painted drawer pulls resting on four square legs. (Widdicomb Modern...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWood, Walnut, Paint
- Widdicomb Modern Blond Maple Tall Single-Door Cabinet / NightstandBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in New York, NYAmerican mid-century blond maple nightstand / tall cabinet with a single compartment concealed by a hinged door with a bronze ring door pull. (WIDDICOMB MODERN...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMetal, Bronze
- Pair of George I Burl NightstandsLocated in Westwood, NJAn English Georgian style poplar burl bedside chest, the rectangular molded edge top with a leather inset slide and four graduated drawers, on bracket feet...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese George I Night Stands
MaterialsBurl
$8,070 / item - Pair of Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb 3 Drawer ChestsBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Hanover, MAPair of American classical modern chests of drawers designed by Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Furniture Co. in figured walnut with contrasting maple moldings. Both have original la...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMaple, Walnut
- John Widdicomb Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency Black Lacquered NightstandsBy John WiddicombLocated in South Bend, INAn exceptional pair of Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency Campaign style three-drawer bedside chests By John Widdicomb USA, 1950s Black lacquered solid cherry wood, with o...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Louis XV Style Cabinets Commodes or NightstandsBy Maison JansenLocated in Stamford, CTPair of Louis XV Style cabinets commodes or nightstands. The pair having oak shelved interiors with full locks. The fronts a Fine mahogany finis...Category
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Night Stands
MaterialsMarble
$12,600 / set - 1920s Art Deco Commode & Nightstands, in Burl Walnut , by Gaetano BorsaniLocated in Vigonza, PaduaItalian 1920s elegant Art Deco Commode with pair of nightstands in burl walnut Two nightstands with commode by Gaetano Borsani , in burl walnut , with golden brass handle and foot. ...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut, Burl
- Pair of Minimalist 'Amboine' Burl Wood Nightstands by Design FrèresBy Design FrèresLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of Minimalist 'Amboine' burl wood nightstands by Design Frères. Simple, functional design with 2 deep drawers per nightstand. T...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Commodes and Chest...
MaterialsWood, Burl