Pair of Widdicomb Side Chairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Widdicomb Side Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Similar to:T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.5 in (82.55 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 22 in (55.88 cm)Seat Height: 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:circa 1944
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Newly upholstered and refinished.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: CF26711stDibs: LU81341105866
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 Midcentury Poppy Red Button Back ChairsLocated in New York, NYPair of midcentury button back chairs with splayed back legs. Chairs are covered in a nubby poppy red cotton with ebonized legs. They were refinished...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Hardwood
- Frankl Style Bamboo Rattan Side or Desk ChairBy Paul FranklLocated in New York, NYPaul Frankl style arched base bamboo side or desk chair with new grey chenille upholstery. Slight wear to frame finish from age appropriate wear and use.Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bamboo
- Frankl Style Bamboo Rattan Arm ChairLocated in New York, NYPaul Frankl style bamboo rattan arm chair with new Starfish upholstery. Slight wear to frame finish.Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bamboo, Rattan
- Pair Two Tier Tropical Bamboo Side TablesLocated in New York, NYPair Of Two Tier Bamboo Tables with lower shelf on each. Tropical design on top and on shelf below. Good overall sturdy condition with slight losses to finish. Can be shipped UPS, me...Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Hollywood Regency Side Tables
MaterialsBamboo
- Pair of Doria PendantsBy Doria Leuchten GermanyLocated in New York, NYPair of Doria pedants made out of crystal art glass with chrome-plated shade. The total height of the pedants which is adjustable is 38".Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsChrome
$795 / set - Pair French Gilt Wrought Iron and Glass Side TablesLocated in New York, NYPair Super Chic French Gilt Wrought Iron And Glass Side Tables. Good overall condition, slight finish loss around top edge, and few scratches to glass due to age and use. Each measur...Category
Mid-20th Century French Side Tables
MaterialsWrought Iron
- Pair of Unusual Slipper Chairs by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Widdicomb, circa 1950sBy T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA pair of rare and unusual French style slipper chairs by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, circa 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Slipper Lounge Chairs - PairBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Countryside, ILT.H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Slipper Lounge Chairs - Pair Each lounge chair measures: 27 wide x 26 deep x 31 high, with a seat height of 17 inches All pieces of...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Chair and Ottoman for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Toledo, OHT.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings chair and ottoman for Widdicomb Furniture. T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (1905-1976) produced and understated a line of mode...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Slipper Chairs, PairBy T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in East Hampton, NYClassic pair of slipper chairs designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, circa 1954. The frames are walnut and the chairs have been recently reupholstered in button tufted soft Yves Klein ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
$16,900 / set - T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Upholstered Slipper ChairBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Garnerville, NYT.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb slipper chair. The slipper chair traditionally is an armless chair that sits closer to the floor than other chairs. Featuring that elegantly tape...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Foam, Wood
$2,316 Sale Price20% Off - Single T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Elegant Slipper Chair Walnut FrameBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in St. Louis, MOBeautiful design by T. H Robsjohn-Gibbings in original finish, with older silk upholstery. Elegant splayed legs on walnut frame, original finish shows minor scuffs. Upholstery shows stains, needs to be updated. From one owner estate, no label, home filled with other Gibbings pieces. This one recently sold...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut