Dunbar Art Deco Desk from the Estate of Bing Crosby
View Similar Items
Dunbar Art Deco Desk from the Estate of Bing Crosby
About the Item
- Creator:Dunbar Furniture (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 48 in (121.92 cm)Depth: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1935
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Structurally sound. Some paint loss and small dings. In great condition for age.
- Seller Location:Alhambra, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU94436918303
Dunbar Furniture
Revered for its handcrafted and highly collectible mid-century modern sofas, coffee tables and other furnishings, Dunbar Furniture was founded in 1910 in Berne, Indiana, but it didn’t gain widespread recognition until the ’30s, following the introduction of its president to a designer who would leave an indelible mark on the company’s legacy: Edward Wormley.
After a stint at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Oswego, Illinois-born Wormley worked as an interior designer for Marshall Field’s before joining Dunbar in 1931. Initially focused on developing the company’s cheapest furniture line, which could be bought with soap coupons, he was soon leading Dunbar Furniture into a new era of residential furniture for modern American homes. He would serve as the company’s design director for over three decades, designing about 150 pieces each year.
During that time, he oversaw the production of designs in a wide range of materials, with influences ranging from Scandinavian modernism to Art Deco. There were modern upholstery pieces, like swiveling lounge chairs and low-slung sofas, and experiments with textural wood on bar carts and cabinets as well as minimal, sculptural tables and functional office furniture. A passionate collector of Tiffany Studios lamps, Wormley used their glass tiles in Dunbar tables in 1956. He also worked on the reproduction of pieces by designers such as Jean-Michel Frank and Richard Riemerschmid.
One standout Dunbar Furniture collection was Janus, introduced in the 1960s, with Austrian-born ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler. These pieces see the Natzlers’ uniquely artful ceramic tiles set into several styles of wooden tables. They remain some of the most sought-after mid-century modern Dunbar pieces on the vintage market today. During the peak of his design career and, indeed, the height of Dunbar Furniture’s history, Wormley amassed a whopping 30 Good Design awards between 1950 and 1955 through the “Good Design” exhibition, hosted by the Chicago Merchandise Mart and the Museum of Modern Art. Dunbar today produces a limited selection of archival Wormley designs, but many sales of original Dunbar pieces are through the resale market.
Find a collection of authentic vintage Dunbar Furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Dunbar Contract Division Mid Century Executive DeskBy Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILDunbar contract division Mid Century executive desk Desk measures: 72 wide x 36 deep x 28.5 inches high All pieces of furniture ca...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsPlexiglass, Wood
- Partners Desk by Edward Wormley for DunbarBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Dallas, TXA mahogany partners desk with original leather top and base and brass hardware. Designed by Edward Wormley for Dunbar.Category
Vintage 1950s Desks
MaterialsMahogany
- Art Deco Mirrored DeskLocated in Westwood, NJAn Art Deco-style mirrored desk with silver leaf and antiqued mirror, the rectangular mirror paneled top above three drawers with brass handles, on mirror inset square tapering legs....Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsGlass, Wood
$4,905 / item - French Art Deco DeskBy Émile-Jacques RuhlmannLocated in Westwood, NJIn the Ruhlman Manner, this French Art Deco desk, true to its French lineage, is a study in curves and angles. Two shapely filing drawers flank th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Art Deco Desks
MaterialsMahogany
$8,130 / item - Art Deco Leather Inset DeskLocated in Westwood, NJA French Art Deco style fumed figured Eucalyptus veneered desk, the rectangular stainless steel strung top centered by a tooled leather writing surface and a demi lune cut-out, with three frieze drawers with stainless steel handles, on turned legs with stainless steel castors...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Art Deco Desks
MaterialsStainless Steel
$6,360 / item - Art Deco Office Desk NutLocated in Kraków, MałopolskaWe present Art Deco desk from 1940. Every piece of furniture that leaves our workshop from the beginning to the end is subjected to manual renovation, so as to restore its original ...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Desks
MaterialsOak
$4,040