Pair of Widdicomb Lacquered Nightstands
View Similar Items
Pair of Widdicomb Lacquered Nightstands
About the Item
- Creator:C.G. Kimerly (Designer),Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26 in (66.04 cm)Width: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Depth: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1941-1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:San Francisco, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 14091910190208
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.
- Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Black Lacquered Nightstands, Newly RefinishedBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in South Bend, INAn exceptional pair of Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency nightstands By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb USA, 1950s Black lacquered walnut, with original brass hardwa...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Black Lacquered Nightstands, Newly RefinishedBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in South Bend, INA gorgeous pair of Mid-Century Modern nightstands By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb USA, 1950s Black lacquered walnut, with unique brass and lacquered spear-shaped dra...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
- 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 Mid Century Modern Single Drawer Nightstands by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Freehold, NJThis pair of mid century modern nightstands by Widdicomb feature hardwood construction, walnut veneer with original finish, single dovetailed drawer, sculpted wood handle, lower stor...Category
Mid-20th Century American Night Stands
MaterialsWalnut
$1,240 Sale Price20% Off - Pair of Single Drawer Maple Nightstands by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for WiddicombBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful pair of single drawer blonde maple nightstands by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb - Great vintage condition - Shows little signs of use and slight fading. Label Widdic...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMaple
$2,800 Sale Price30% Off