Widdicomb Cabinet with Brass Pulls
View Similar Items
Widdicomb Cabinet with Brass Pulls
About the Item
- Creator:Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Similar to:T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Highland, IN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU90911279818
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.
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Dresser by WiddicombBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Highland, INThis stunning dresser by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb is impeccably designed and expertly crafted. The walnut case has is exquisitely detailed with the curved front and elega...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Stool by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Highland, INTypical of Robsjohn-Gibbings' refined aesthetic, this stool is elegant and sexy, with graceful lines. The base is finished in black lacquer and topped with a seat upholstered in a ch...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Desk by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Highland, INThis desk by T.H. Robsjo-Gibbings for Widdicomb has a strong architectural quality and great minimalist design. The desktop cantilevers from the pedestal and is supported by a single...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Nightstands by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Highland, INThis pair of elegant Robsjohn-Gibbings nightstands by Widdocomb exhibit his signature style– refined, understated, with exceptional details such as the silver plated spear-shaped dra...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsMetal
$4,500 / set - T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Double Dresser by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Highland, INThis stunning double dresser by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb is impeccably designed and expertly crafted. The walnut case has is exquisitely detailed with the curved front an...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Two-Tiered Table by WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Highland, INThis Robsjohn-Gibbings end table was beautifully crafted of walnut and maple by Widdicomb and is newly restored in a translucent ebony finish.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsMaple, Walnut
- Elegant Mahogany Altar Style Cabinet by T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Atlanta, GAAn exceptional example from a rare production of case pieces designed by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, circa 1948. Beautiful rich toning highlight the exquisite leg detail. Elegant solid brass hardware mark the doors. Absolutely stunning! Excellent restored condition. The piece has been professionally cleaned and re-lacquered. The finish displays fabulous color, warmth and depth. The brass door...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
MaterialsBrass
- T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings Credenza for Widdicomb in Blue Lacquer with Nickel PullsBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Saint Louis, MOMid Century Modern blue lacquered Credenza designed by T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb in the early 1950s with large Nickle plated Ring Pull...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsNickel
- T H Robsjohn Gibbings Widdicomb Modern MCM Maple and Brass Credenza with HutchBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Countryside, ILT.H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Modern Mid Century Maple and Brass Credenza with Hutch The credenza measures: 54 wide x 20.25 deep x 32.75 inches high The hutch measures: 51 wi...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
MaterialsBrass
- Mahogany Cabinet by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for WiddicombBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in Dorchester, MAT.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings designed this handsome mahogany cabinet for the Widdicomb Furniture Company. The solidly built case has three roomy center drawers with linear wooden pulls and additional shelving behind doors...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsMahogany
- Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Walnut Dresser with Brass Legs, Newly RefinishedBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in South Bend, INAn exceptional Mid-Century Modern six-drawer long dresser or credenza By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb USA, 1950s Book-matched walnut, with sculpted walnut drawer pul...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Bassett Modern Credenza Buffet Dresser in Medium Tone Finish & Brass Plate PullsBy Bassett FurnitureLocated in Topeka, KSGorgeous modern almost Brutalist Bassett credenza or buffet comprised of a medium tone finished wood (possibly oak, ash, or hickory); brass-plated die cast pulls; six drawers (three ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
$2,396 Sale Price20% Off