Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Kipp Stewart Walnut Writing Desk
View Similar Items
Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Kipp Stewart Walnut Writing Desk
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 58 in (147.32 cm)Length: 29 in (73.66 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960s
- Condition:Very good vintage condition being structurally sound with age appropriate signs of normal use as pictured. One wooden handle repaired. Overall very nice.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU934114902811
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.
- Stewart MacDougall Kipp Stewart Drexel Walnut Folding Campaign Table 'a'By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougallLocated in Philadelphia, PAStewart MacDougall Kipp Stewart Drexel Walnut Folding Campaign Table (A). Item features a removable tray top, folding X-form base, carved finial...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Stewart MacDougall Kipp Stewart Drexel Walnut Folding Campaign Table 'B'By Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougallLocated in Philadelphia, PAStewart MacDougall Kipp Stewart Drexel Walnut Folding Campaign Table (B). Item features removable tray top, folding X-form base, carved finials....Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Drexel Oxford Square Geometric Painted Parsons Style Console Desk Dining TableBy DrexelLocated in Philadelphia, PADrexel Oxford Square Geometric Painted Parsons Style Console Desk Dining Table. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 29" H x 60" W x 30" D x 26" ...Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWood
- French Louis XV Style Gold Gilt Writing Desk with Marquetry Inlaid TopLocated in Philadelphia, PA19th century French Louis XV style gold gilt small writing desk with marquetry inlaid top. Item features distressed gold gilt finish, shaped top, carvings on all sides, stunning marq...Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century Modern Brass Legs and Base Walnut Kneehole Writing Desk ModernistLocated in Philadelphia, PAMid-Century Modern brass legs and base walnut kneehole writing desk modernist. Item features unique brass base and stretcher support, beautiful wood grain, 4 dovetailed drawers, tape...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Campaign Style Teak Wood Fliptop Writing Desk with Side Chair, 2pc SetLocated in Philadelphia, PACampaign style teak wood flip top writing desk with side chair - 2pc set. Item features a flip top, cast iron accents, stretched base, solid wood...Category
Late 20th Century Campaign Desks
MaterialsTeak
- 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
- Mid Century Modern Kipp Stewart for Drexel Secretary Desk Hutch With BookcaseBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in North Hollywood, CAWonderful vintage Mid Century Modern secretary desk designed by Drexel group, it is marked inside the drawer and in the back too. This iconic desk is made of walnut wood and brass ha...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut BookcaseBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Bookcase This bookcase measures: 59 wide x 17.5 deep x 30.75 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call r...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWalnut
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut CredenzaBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Credenza This credenza measures: 72.25 wide x 20 deep x 31.25 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsWalnut
- Kipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Buffet & HutchBy Kipp Stewart, DrexelLocated in Countryside, ILKipp Stewart for Drexel Declaration Mid Century Walnut Buffet & Hutch Buffet measures: 48.5 wide x 20 deep x 67.25 All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored v...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
MaterialsGlass, Walnut
- Mid Century Highboy Walnut Dresser Kipp Stewart for Drexel DeclarationBy Kipp Stewart & Stewart MacDougall, DrexelLocated in Baltimore, MDAn elegant Mid-Century Modern tall dresser/highboy/chest of drawers designed by Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall for Drexel’s Declaration Collection, circa 1960’s. Featuring a solid, beautifully grained walnut wood case and frame. The upper drop down cabinet features a single push spring lock door that opens to reveal two shallow top drawers with dividers, offering ample room; for tidy storage of personal effects. Maker Stamp (by Drexel) on the inside of the top drawer. Below are three long and wide bottom drawers, each is adorned with original brass pulls with walnut inlay, creating a striking contrast to the walnut wood. Each drawer has beautiful, stunning walnut grains, and easy gliding dovetail drawers, overall good original vintage condition, with exceptional craftsmanship. A recessed base of round tapered legs and apron provide stable support while conveying an airy “floating” effect. Additional Maker Stamp (Declaration by Drexel...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut