Vintage Consensus Collection by Drexel MCM Writing Desk Ash & Brass Plated Metal
View Similar Items
Vintage Consensus Collection by Drexel MCM Writing Desk Ash & Brass Plated Metal
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.75 in (78.11 cm)Width: 54.25 in (137.8 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Repaired: On the upper back left corner and the right side on the back we have replaced and repaired a bit of the veneer. The work was done by our experienced staff. Wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful condition. Vintage not new will have signs use & wear. 2 spots on back edges have repaired veneer. Has surfaces scratches & some undetermined dark spots on top but do not affect wood. Legs have a white patina in spots. Please see photos.
- Seller Location:Topeka, KS
- Reference Number:Seller: 414-CSG-2141stDibs: LU1873329547232
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.
- Asian Teak Hand Carved Drop Front Compartmentalized Desk Style of George ZeeBy George Zee and CoLocated in Topeka, KSHandsome Asian teak hand carved drop slant front desk with interior compartmentalized cubby storage in the style of George Zee and Co. of China. This amazing piece is in fabulous condition. Please see photos, circa mid-20th century. This phenomenal drop front desk is made with superior craftsmanship and materials and is in exceptional original condition. Comprised of teak that has been carved on the drop front and the drawer faces with an incredible plum blossom and bird motif. The drop front is slanted above three rows of drawers. The top row having two drawers and the lower two a single full width drawer. All with recessed carved handles. Inside the drop front, besides the work surface, there is a removable cubby compartmentalized storage including a small drawer. This is made in the style of renowned Chinese furniture maker George Zee and Co. who made high quality teak and camphor wood furniture...Category
Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Desks
MaterialsTeak
- Vintage MCM Art Deco Maple Colored Desk Black Accents American of MartinsvilleBy American of MartinsvilleLocated in Topeka, KSStunning vintage mid-century modern or Art Deco with an Asian flair maple colored exotic wood desk by American of Martinsville. Beautiful condition, k...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWood, Paint
- MCM Desk by Robert John Co. Walnut & White Painted Steel Frame & Laminate TopBy KnollLocated in Topeka, KSHandsome Mid-Century Modern smaller writing desk by the Robert John Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania featuring walnut cabinet with white painted steel frame and white laminate top. This is from their Steelwood collection. It desk is in wonderful restored condition. We have sanded and put a new finish on the walnut and the metal frame. The laminate has been cleaned and polished. There are still signs of age but nothing major. Please see photos, circa 1960s. This wonderful Mid-Century Modern smaller size office desk has been a real puzzle. It has taken much research and I’m still not sure I know about the Robert John Co. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their tag says Makers of Contemporary Furniture and that this desk is. When I google them all I come up with is other pieces of furniture being offered that were made by them, but I can’t find any history on the company. And, several listings say the piece was designed by Robert John but made by Knoll. I have not found supporting evidence of that statement! No matter. This is a fabulous desk with a walnut box cabinet containing three equal size drawers that are adorned with cool black and white handles. It is surrounded by a white painted metal frame which accents the walnut wonderfully and a white laminate work surface. This was originally in an architect’s office. I can see why. It has awesome lines and is beautifully designed. This desk is just the right size for a home office. Not as big as an executive desk but a little bigger than a writing desk. Fabulous! Fabulous style! Fabulous size! Fabulous condition! Make it yours. Attn: Since originally writing this I have obtained three vintage brochures...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage MCM Sears Symphony Coll by Drexel Green Upholstered & Cane Lounge ChairBy Drexel, Sears, Roebuck & CompanyLocated in Topeka, KSLovely vintage MCM (Mid-Century Modern) Sears & Roebuck by Drexel Symphony Collection lounge chair with original silk like green upholstery and walnut t...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- 1960’s Mid Century to Scandinavian Modern Teak Writing Desk w Shelf & Round LegsLocated in Topeka, KSHandsome vintage mid-century modern or Scandinavian Modern teak writing desk with raised back shelf, 2 drawers, and straight round legs, made in Bangkok. Beautiful condition, keeping...Category
Vintage 1960s Thai Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsTeak
- Vintage Mid-Century Modern Mengel Drop Front Secretary Desk by Raymond LoewyBy Mengel Furniture Co., Raymond LoweyLocated in Topeka, KSHandsome vintage Mid-Century Modern Mengel drop front secretary desk by Raymond Loewy. Comprised of an oak case, cerused oak drawer fronts, and blac...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
MaterialsMetal
- Drexel Sandia Collection Jacobean Drop-Front DeskBy DrexelLocated in Chicago, ILDrexel drop front desk from the Sandia Collection, circa 1960s. Interesting writing desk marrying the form of a Govenor Winthrop drop front desk with early English Jacobean...Category
Vintage 1970s American Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage "Biscayne" Floating Top Walnut Desk by DrexelBy Milo Baughman, DrexelLocated 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
- Modernist Desk by John Van Koert for DrexelBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Sagaponack, NYA boldly angled modernist single pedestal desk having a distinctive raised gallery with sliding doors and a warm dark grey leather surface.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- High Style George Washington Double End Desk by DrexelBy DrexelLocated in Van Nuys, CACustom made high style bird's-eye maple George Washington double end desk by Drexel. The desktop features a leather topped writing surface embossed with gold leaf. There are three pu...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass, Gold Leaf
- Vintage Drexel Heritage Modern Oak Writing DeskBy DrexelLocated in Clarksboro, NJThis listing is for a vintage Drexel Heritage Modern Oak Writing Desk. Featuring a straight line modern design, four drawers four storage, rosewood drawer trim and pulls. This is an ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWood, Oak, Rosewood
- 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
