Pair of Rare Vintage Mid-Century Lounge Chairs by Gerald Jerome
View Similar Items
Pair of Rare Vintage Mid-Century Lounge Chairs by Gerald Jerome
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Manufacturer),Gerald Jerome (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.75 in (90.81 cm)Width: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)Depth: 32.5 in (82.55 cm)Seat Height: 16.65 in (42.3 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Great condition with normal vintage patina, mainly on the original upholstery. No breaks in the cane. Some small scratches on one of the brass caps.
- Seller Location:San Francisco, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU94731297888
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more.
With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories.
In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Rare Pair of James Mont Mid-Century Lounge ChairsBy James MontLocated in New York, NYExquisite pair of rare lounge chairs by James Mont. The wide framed chairs have been fully restored with satin black frames and Mohair upholstery which is tufted on the seats.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery
$12,500 / set - Pair of Vintage Czech Mid Century Modern Lounge ChairsLocated in Gardiner, NYPair of authentic vintage Czech mid century modern lounge / club chairs. This set is in excellent refinished condition with brand new Knoll u...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Vintage Mid Century Modern Czech Lounge ChairsBy Jaroslav SmidekLocated in Gardiner, NYPair of authentic vintage Czech mid century modern lounge chairs. Designed by Jaroslav Smidek. This set is in excellent vintage condition with brand new corduroy upholstery! We us...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Vintage Czech Mid Century Modern Lounge ChairsLocated in Gardiner, NYPair of authentic vintage Czech mid century modern lounge chairs. This set is in excellent vintage condition with brand new Knoll upholstery and very few signs of age-related wear (...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Pair of Vintage Czech Mid Century Modern Lounge ChairsLocated in Gardiner, NYPair of authentic vintage Czech mid century modern lounge chairs. Model 53 designed by Jaroslav Smidek for TON. This set is in great vintage condition with brand new dark blue velv...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Pair of Vintage Czech Mid Century Modern Lounge ChairsLocated in Gardiner, NYPair of authentic vintage Czech mid century modern lounge chairs. This set is in great vintage condition with brand new Knoll corduroy upholstery and few signs of age-related wear (...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood