Drexel Declaration Walnut Desk
View Similar Items
Drexel Declaration Walnut Desk
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Manufacturer),Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 44 in (111.76 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. light surface wear with a few marks and dings, oxidation to brass hardware.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU81977292523
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 range of vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Alvar Aalto Mahogany Desk for Artek with Drawers and Pull Out Work SurfacesBy Alvar AaltoLocated in Chicago, ILThe model #500 mahogany desk designed by Alvar Aalto, made in Sweden for Artek, Finland. Six drawers with two pull-out work surface boards. A nice example...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks
MaterialsMahogany
- Louis Kalff Table or Desk Lamp for Philips with Perforated Metal ShadeBy PhilipsLocated in Chicago, ILTable lamp with open top and perforated metal shade designed by Louis Kalff for Philips, Netherlands. This lamp has pleasing proportions, and an elegantly tapered stem. Please conta...Category
20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Jens Risom Rectangular Side Table with Walnut Base and White Laminate TopBy Jens RisomLocated in Chicago, ILThis rectangular side table by Jens Risom has a walnut base and a white laminate surface. The legs are cleverly inset, giving the top a floating quality and an overall jauntiness to ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Walnut
- Jane and Gordon Martz Ceramic Tile and Walnut Bookends for Marshall StudiosBy Gordon & Jane Martz, Marshall StudiosLocated in Chicago, ILThese ceramic tile and walnut bookends were designed and made by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studios. The rectangular forms are softened by the loose brush strokes in the glaz...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsWalnut, Ceramic
- Abstract Torso Sculpture by Slim Schramm Hand Carved Walnut Reclining FigureBy Slim SchrammLocated in Chicago, ILThis hand carved walnut torso sculpture by Slim Schramm is an abstract reclining figure. Schramm's exploitation of the natural growth patterns and irregularities of the wood lend to ...Category
20th Century American American Craftsman Sculptures
MaterialsWalnut
- Marianne Brandt Table Desk Lamp for Kandem with Adjustable Arm and ShadeBy KandemLocated in Chicago, ILArtist, sculptor, designer and teacher Marianne Brandt's desk lamp by Kandem is a classic, Bauhaus inspired design. The adjustable arm and shade make it an excellent task / work lam...Category
20th Century German Industrial Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Corner DeskBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel declaration mid century walnut corner desk This desk measures: 52.5 wide x 40.25 deep x 31.5 inches high, with a c...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- Drexel Declaration Walnut and Cane CabinetBy Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougallLocated in Denton, TXDrexel declaration walnut & cane cabinet designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart. Iconic design with walnut and cane- which is very r...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsCane, Walnut
- Vintage "Biscayne" Floating Top Walnut Desk by DrexelBy Drexel, Milo BaughmanLocated in North Hollywood, CAWonderful vintage “Biscayne” floating top walnut desk by Drexel and manufactured in the United States, circa 1960s. This desk has been built from the highest quality walnut wood and ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
- Drexel "Declaration" DresserBy Drexel, Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougallLocated in Brooklyn, NYLong Mid-Century Modern dresser by Drexel for their "Declaration" line. Designed by Stewart MacDougal and Kipp Stewart, with modern straight lines, walnut grain and 11 total drawers....Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Walnut Tambour Door Secretary Desk with Bookcase, 1966By Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in South Bend, INAn exceptional Mid-Century Modern bureau with tambour door secretary desk and bookcase By Kipp Stewart for Drexel, "Declaration" Collection USA, 1966 ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
- John Van Koert for Drexel Profile Mid Century Leather Top Walnut DeskBy Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Countryside, ILJohn Van Koert for Drexel Profile mid century leather top walnut desk This desk measures: 53.75 wide x 33 deep x 35.5 high, with a chair clearance of 25.5 inches All pieces of ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsChrome