Sideboard by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. in Mahogany and Cork
View Similar Items
Sideboard by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. in Mahogany and Cork
About the Item
- Creator:Paul Frankl (Designer),Johnson Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.5 in (82.55 cm)Width: 72 in (182.88 cm)Depth: 20.5 in (52.07 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. Minor losses. Minor wear consistent with age and normal use, with the exception of one U.S. quarter-size deficit and some minor scratches on the bottom left. See photo. Expert professional restoration and overall touch up can be done before shipping, if requested.
- Seller Location:Littleton, CO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5401224792282
Paul Frankl
Born in Vienna, Paul Frankl came to the United States in 1914 as part of a wave of Central European design luminaries — among them Kem Weber, Rudolph Schindler, and Richard Neutra — who were drawn by the energy and optimism of the American scene. Prolific and protean, Frankl would go on to design furnishings that are emblematic of nearly every key stylistic chord in American modernism, from the streamlined Art Deco to free-form organic shapes.
Frankl's Skyscraper cabinets, bookcases and more — introduced in 1924 — are his earliest and best-known designs (and the work by which he is most often represented in institutions, such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). Tall and narrow, the pieces have staggered shelves meant to mimic the setbacks of Manhattan office towers. A later visually expressive line — the Speed chairs and sofas, which have a raked profile suggesting motion — links Frankl to Donald Deskey, Raymond Loewy and other creators of Streamline Moderne design.
Frankl moved to Los Angeles in 1934 and luxuriated in the climate and lifestyle. His designs became lighter and simpler and found an audience among the Hollywood élite. (Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Fred Astaire were clients.) Fascinated by Asian arts, Frankl produced numerous pieces — tabletops with edges that curve upward; sofas, chairs and other seating with rattan frames — inspired by Chinese and Japanese forms and materials. In the 1940s, Frankl became one of the first designers to incorporate free-form, biomorphic shapes in his work, as well as novel upholstery fabrics such as denim and nubby wool.
Frankl biographer Christopher Long argues that the designer’s easy, elegant aesthetic had an enormous influence on movie set design. As the furniture below attests, Paul Frankl’s work is ready for its close-up.
Find vintage Paul Frankl tables, dining chairs, case pieces and storage cabinets on 1stDibs.
Johnson Furniture Co.
Take a medal from the King of Sweden, a splash of the roaring twenties, and a series of talented designers and you get Johnson Furniture Co.’s elegant Art Deco and period-revival furnishings as well as a taste for why the Johnson name prevailed for over a century in American furniture manufacturing.
A wealth of forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s. It eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The city became a destination for woodworkers who hailed from all over the United States as well as Europe, and Johnson Furniture Co. cofounder Carl Johnson, who had been recognized for cabinetmaking by the head of the royal family in his native Sweden, brought his royally acknowledged talents to America with his two brothers, Hjalmar and Axel in 1887. Together, they established Cabinetmakers Co. in Grand Rapids. In 1908, the brothers sold their start-up and founded Johnson Furniture Co.
Tom Handley, of the well-respected English furniture company Waring and Gillow, became an in-house designer with Johnson Furniture Co. in its early days. Handley would stay on as part of both the Johnson label and of Johnson-Handley-Johnson — a companion company that spun off from Johnson in 1922 — until his death in 1926. At the time, archaeological discoveries were all the rage. The greatest influence on Art Deco jewelry, for example, was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922, and some vintage Tom Handley designs were adaptations of Egyptian furniture. The brand specialized in a range of styles that included Art Deco, Chippendale, Queen Anne and more.
Acclaimed designer David Robertson Smith, who had made furniture in the Arts and Crafts style for the likes of Gustav Stickley, carried the Johnson Furniture Co. creative team into the early 1930s. Grand Rapids had by then become a thriving hub with respect to the mass production of furniture, and Smith’s sophisticated Dynamique line — a collection of coffee tables, cabinets and more in alluring woods such as walnut and mahogany and based on French furniture — was among the first mass-produced modern furniture made in America.
Johnson hired Lorenzo Rutili, a Carnegie Institute graduate who studied design in Europe, to lead the brand’s design division. Rutili oversaw 30 years of successful Johnson Furniture Co. collaborations with other notable designers including Paul Frankl, Eliel Saarinen, Bert England, J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsam Saarinen Swanson. After wrapping up his tenure at Johnson, Rutili moved on to design furniture at Tomlinson in North Carolina.
During the 1960s, Kipp Stewart and Milo Baughman designed residential furnishings for Directional — a favorite of mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — and Johnson produced these pieces, becoming the sole manufacturer for the North Carolina brand.
After a merger with Timberline Inc., Johnson Furniture Co. secured contracts for hotels, motels and university dormitories. In 1983, Johnson and Rose Manufacturing became RoseJohnson Inc. It was later purchased by La-Z-Boy.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Johnson Furniture Co. case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other furniture.
- Teak Cabinets by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg MøbelfabrikBy Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, Peter HvidtLocated in Littleton, COTeak bachelor's chest or tall sideboard by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen for Søborg Møbelfabrik. This lovely pair of stacked cabinets have been well cared by their origin...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsTeak
$4,600 Sale Price29% Off - Ward Bennett "Scissor" Lounge Chairs for Brickel in Chrome and Beige LeatherBy Ward Bennett, Brickel AssociatesLocated in Littleton, COElevate your living space with this iconic pair of 1960s "Scissor" chairs in chrome and leather by the renowned New York-based designer Ward Bennett for Brickel. Crafted during the h...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$5,240 Sale Price / set20% Off - Dining or Desk Chair by Ernest Farmer for George Nelson and AssociatesBy George Nelson, Ernest Farmer, Herman MillerLocated in Littleton, COA rare birch dining or desk chair by Ernest Farmer of George Nelson and Associates for Herman Miller. Professional reupholstery available at pass-thro...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch
$660 Sale Price20% Off - Two-Seat Sling Sofa by Hannah Morrison for KnollBy Bruce Hannah & Andrew Morrison, KnollLocated in Littleton, COTwo-seat sling sofa by Bruce Hannah and Andrew Morrison for Knoll in vibrant 1970s red orange faux leather. The steel frame has been freshly powder-coated in July 2022 and bears no ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsSteel
$1,500 Sale Price33% Off - "Lulu" Cradle or Bassinet by Nanna Ditzel for E. Johansen Møbler ASBy Nanna DitzelLocated in Littleton, COThe "Lulu" cradle was designed in 1963 by Nanna Ditzel for her daughter. The cradle was then passed on for generations in that family. Each time a baby was born, a small label was ad...Category
Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
MaterialsBeech
- Olo Chair by Andrew Jones for KeilhauerLocated in Littleton, COA molded-plastic update on the classic tub chair, the Olo Chair by Andrew Jones for Keilhauer is highly versatile. Ready for use as a side chair, or a confer...Category
Early 2000s Canadian Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlastic
- Art Deco Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Mahogany and Cork SideboardBy Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILArt Deco Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Mahogany and Cork sideboard An exquisite, iconic and truly timeless and unparalleled classic sideboard by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furnit...Category
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Paul Frankl Cork Dresser for Johnson Furniture Co.By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Los Angeles, CAPaul Frankl’s cork furniture pieces are among his longest-lasting contributions to American modernism and are highly sought after to this day. This example, a cork top waterfall edge...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Paul Frankl Cork Dresser for Johnson Furniture Co.By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Los Angeles, CAPaul Frankl’s cork furniture pieces are among his longest-lasting contributions to American modernism and are highly sought after to this day. This example, a cork top waterfall edge...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Black Lacquered Mahogany Sideboard CredenzaBy Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture CompanyLocated in South Bend, INAn exceptional Mid-Century Modern sideboard, credenza, or bar cabinet By Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture USA, 1950s Black lacquered mahogany, with lacquered cork top and b...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. x Pull Cork Top SideboardBy Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture CompanyLocated in Stamford, CTPaul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. X Pull Cork Top Sideboard. As found condition with original black painted finish and cork tip that has been painted white. Brass X pulls retain ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Art Deco Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Mahogany and Cork Buffet CabinetBy Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Chicago, ILArt Deco Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Mahogany and Cork buffet cabinet An exquisite, iconic and truly timeless and unparalleled classic, complete buffet and display case by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. The 2 door breakfront cabinet...Category
Vintage 1940s Art Deco Buffets
MaterialsBrass