Brass Legged Armchair by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
View Similar Items
Brass Legged Armchair by Edward Wormley for Dunbar
About the Item
- Creator:Edward Wormley (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.86 in (86 cm)Width: 29.93 in (76 cm)Depth: 0.4 in (1 cm)Seat Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Few age related wear to the brass legs. See detailled photo. Otherwise in mint condition.
- Seller Location:Utrecht, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93275776433
Edward Wormley
As the longtime director of design for the Dunbar furniture company, Edward Wormley was, along with such peers as George Nelson at Herman Miller Inc., and Florence Knoll of Knoll Inc., one of the leading forces in bringing modern design into American homes in the mid-20th century. Not an axiomatic modernist, Wormley deeply appreciated traditional design, and consequently his vintage seating, storage cabinets, bar carts and other work has an understated warmth and a timeless quality that sets it apart from other furnishings of the era.
Wormley was born in rural Illinois and as a teenager took correspondence courses from the New York School of Interior Design. He later attended the Art Institute of Chicago but ran out of money for tuition before he could graduate. Marshall Field hired Wormley in 1930 to design a line of reproduction 18th-century English furniture; the following year he was hired by the Indiana-based Dunbar, where he quickly distinguished himself. It was a good match.
Dunbar was an unusual firm: it did not use automated production systems; its pieces were mostly hand-constructed. For his part, Wormley did not use metal as a major component of furniture; he liked craft elements such as caned seatbacks, tambour drawers, or the woven-wood cabinet fronts seen on his Model 5666 sideboard of 1956. He designed two lines for Dunbar each year — one traditional, one modern — until 1944, by which time the contemporary pieces had become the clear best sellers.
Many of Wormley’s signature pieces — chairs, sofas, tables and more — are modern interpretations of traditional forms. His 1946 Riemerschmid Chair — an example is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art — recapitulates a late 19th-century German design. The long, slender finials of his Model 5580 dining chairs are based on those of Louis XVI chairs; his Listen-to-Me Chaise (1948) has a gentle Rococo curve; the “Precedent” line that Wormley designed for Drexel Furniture in 1947 is a simplified, pared-down take on muscular Georgian furniture. But he could invent new forms, as his Magazine table of 1953, with its bent wood pockets, and his tiered Magazine Tree (1947), both show. And Wormley kept his eye on design currents, creating a series of tables with tops that incorporate tiles and roundels by the great modern ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler.
As the vintage items on 1stDibs demonstrate, Edward Wormley conceived of a subdued sort of modernism, designing furniture that fits into any decorating scheme and does not shout for attention.
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Walnut Magazine Tree TableBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in Utrecht, NLMagazine tree, model 4765 by American designer Edward Wormley executed in birch and sap grain walnut, designed in 1947 for Dunbar Furniture USA. A very special, functional and aesth...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBirch, Walnut
- Pair of Carl Gustav Hiort af Ornäs 'Rialto' Armchairs by Puunveisto Oy, FinlandBy Carl Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs, Puunveisto OYLocated in Utrecht, NLChair 'Rialto's streamlined design and refined details engage in a fascinating dialogue. The beautiful signature leather-wrapped armrests give strength to Rialto's unique appearance,...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Tulip chair by Erwin and Estelle LaverneBy Erwine & Estelle LaverneLocated in Utrecht, NLRare moulded fibre glass arm chair on steel base by American designer couple Estelle and Erwin Laverne, 1958, for Laverne International. Outer shell structured, inner shell smooth. ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Arm Chair Model 53 by Finn JuhlBy Finn JuhlLocated in Utrecht, NLChair model 53 was originally designed by Finn Juhl in 1953 and is one of the most appreciated designs from his oeuvre. It's an extravagant piece of furniture. It integrates the ligh...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Hans Wegner AP34 Arm Chair by AP Stolen DenmarkBy Hans J. Wegner, A.P. StolenLocated in Utrecht, NLLounge chair model AP34 by Danish designer Hans Wegner was designed in 1957 as a part of a series that included a 2, 3 and 4 seater sofa. The chair's frame is f...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Carl Gustav Hiort af Ornäs 'Rialto' Arm Chair - Puunveisto Oy, FinlandBy Carl Gustaf Hiort af Ornäs, Puunveisto OYLocated in Utrecht, NLChair 'Rialto''s streamlined design and refined details engage in a fascinating dialogue. The beautiful signature leather-wrapped armrests give strength to Rialto's unique appearance...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Pair of Edward Wormley for Dunbar "Morris" ArmchairsBy Edward WormleyLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA pair of rare and unusual Edward Wormley for Dunbar adjustable back lounge chairs. Known as "Morris" chairs they allow for 3 positions-l...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Slipper Chair by Edward Wormley for DunbarBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in Palm Springs, CASlipper chair designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar. Newly upholstered in a orange fabric closely matching the original with attention to detail! Solid mahogany frame. Retains the...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Rare and Elegant Edward Wormley for Dunbar Lounge ArmchairBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in St. Louis, MOEdward Wormley for Dunbar lounge chair. Model number 6309, part of the Today and Tomorrow collection, circa 1963. Beautiful channelled mahogany frame with ultra-suede seat and back c...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar, Janus Armchair, United States, 1958By Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in New York, NYThis deep armchair, designed by Edward J. Wormley for Dunbar, features sleek, modern lines and soft edges. Likely refinished with lime at a later date. Bibliography: Dunbar Janus ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Oak
- Edward Wormley Slipper Chairs for DunbarBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in Dallas, TXEdward Wormley slipper chairs for Dunbar with dark mahogany bases and original black velvet upholstery. The upholstery has faded to an interesting shade of aubergine. Includes downfi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany
$4,800 / set - Edward J. Wormley for Dunbar Club ChairBy Dunbar Furniture, Edward WormleyLocated in St. Louis, MOSingle Edward J. Wormley for Dunbar club chair with older re-upholstery on thick tapered legs. Unrestored, ready for new upholstery, legs show age, should be refinished. Email for up...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany