Pair of Mid-Century Modern Chests by Paul McCobb for Calvin
View Similar Items
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Chests by Paul McCobb for Calvin
About the Item
- Creator:Paul McCobb (Designer),Calvin Furniture (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26 in (66.04 cm)Width: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Refinished with some fading and wear left. The original brass base has been replaced with two wood runners as leg supports.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 0705-9583NJc1stDibs: LU92187839183
Paul McCobb
The single aesthetic attribute of vintage Paul McCobb furniture is that the designer completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — McCobb’s chairs, desks and dining tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — his mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
You could call the Massachusetts-born McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers.
Like the work of Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer besides Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show.
McCobb, a repeat recipient of the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art, also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” He designed for several companies, most notably Directional, which was home to McCobb’s Origami chair.
In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company, a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere. Directional opened its doors after McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York-based Modernage Company. Directional also produced designs by other legends such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a decor: an essential.
Find vintage Paul McCobb credenzas, bookcases, nightstands and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Calvin Furniture
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company Calvin Furniture opened its doors in 1953 and became a sought-after contract manufacturer for the day’s top furniture designers and brands. Its appealing mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency offerings — nightstands, dressers and more — graced the showrooms of department stores all over North America during the 1950s and 1960s.
Calvin’s relationship with the work of Massachusetts-born designer Paul McCobb is well known to enthusiasts of mid-century modern furniture. McCobb, whose unadorned and efficient storage pieces, seating and desks drew on Shaker simplicity and Bauhaus minimalism, wasn’t exactly a designer for Calvin — in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company in Manhattan in 1949, and Calvin was one of the manufacturers contracted to produce the furniture he designed for Directional (and later, for pieces designed under his own name).
Among McCobb’s most acclaimed lines made by Calvin Furniture were the Calvin Group and the Irwin Collection. The travertine-topped sideboards and mahogany nightstands of those lines as well as the other Calvin-produced dressers, bookcases and chests of drawers designed by McCobb were elegant and spare, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Calvin also manufactured the very popular American Design Foundation line of furniture that Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall designed. The Pennsylvania-born, California-raised MacDougall enjoyed a postwar collaboration with West Coast native Stewart that resulted in great success with manufacturers such as Glenn of California and Drexel Furniture. The duo’s celebrated Declaration line for the latter featured streamlined credenzas, dressers and more made in walnut with comely porcelain hardware. The dining chairs, tables and coffee tables manufactured by Calvin flaunt the pair’s signature clean lines, gentle curves and organic shapes.
In the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Calvin Furniture continued its business relationship with B.G. Mesberg National Sales and Directional Furniture. Calvin finally closed their doors during the early 1970s, but their legacy can be found in enduring pieces of modern furniture that remain popular today.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of vintage Calvin Furniture tables, credenzas, chairs and more.
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture Gentleman's ChestBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYBeautiful vintage walnut gentleman's chest designed by Paul McCobb for his iconic mid-century modern series by Calvin Furniture. Framed in a beautifully grained walnut veneer, this i...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb Dresser for Calvin FurnitureBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis stunning vintage modern dresser was designed by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture. Sleek compact design with eight large drawers, unique metal pulls, and metal trim on the fronts...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture Eight Drawer Marble Top DresserBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Brooklyn, NYEarly Paul McCobb designed "Irwin" Collection dresser made by Calvin Furniture of Grand Rapids, MI. Robust walnut construction conceals eight large pull-out drawers behind a pair of ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsStone, Marble, Brass
- Pair of Mid-Century Modern Walnut ChestsLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis beautiful pair of vintage modern chests have three drawers ensuring plenty of space of storage. Straight line design with hidden drawer pulls, a vintage walnut finish, and taper...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut
$1,750 Sale Price / set30% Off - Stylish Pair of Mid-Century Modern Bachelor ChestsLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis pair of American modern dressers each feature four wide drawers for ample bedroom storage. Unique white tops, circular drawer pulls and tapered brass sabot legs...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
$2,793 Sale Price / set26% Off - Mid-Century Modern Walnut Chest of DrawersLocated in Brooklyn, NYGorgeous Mid-Century Modern vintage chest of drawers in a stunning walnut grain. Five pull-out drawers provide ample storage and organization, whether in the home or office. Unique m...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMetal, Steel
$1,330 Sale Price30% Off
- Paul McCobb Gentleman's Tall Chest Irwin Collection for Calvin Furniture, 1956By Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Camden, MEPaul McCobb's gentleman's walnut chest with a fold down mirror Irwin line for Calvin. The accordion doors are bookmatched veneer opening to 18 shirt shelves and five graduated drawe...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut, Mirror
$4,200 Sale Price27% Off - Pair of Paul McCobb for Calvin DressersBy Paul McCobbLocated in Chicago, ILPair of Paul McCobb for Calvin Dressers, the linear group, oiled walnut with stainless steel pulls and accent details. One case has 4 drawers, the other has 3 with open storage. La...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsStainless Steel
$6,825 / set - Paul McCobb Calvin Linear Group Dresser, Chest, Commode, Mid-Century ModernBy Paul McCobbLocated in Stamford, CTMid-Century Modern Chest by Paul McCobb (1917-1969) for Calvin Linear Group This walnut and aluminum chest having four center drawers with pulls. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1950...Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMetal
- Paul McCobb Gentlemans High Chest Dresser Calvin Furniture Irwin Collection MintBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Rockaway, NJPaul McCobb Gentlemans high chest dresser Calvin Furniture Irwin Collection MINTCategory
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb Mid-Century Modern Tall Gentleman's Chest of Drawers - Calvin GroupBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in St. Louis, MOOne of Paul McCobb's most desirable designs, rare model 1013 gentleman's chest of drawers or tall dresser in mahogany from the Calvin group. Elegant and stately, it is loaded with re...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Brass X Base Dresser Chest of Drawers - PairBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Brass X Base Dresser Chest of Drawers - Pair Each chest of drawers measures: 36 wide x 19.25 deep x 36.25 high All pieces of furniture can be had...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass