Eight-Drawer Dresser by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture
View Similar Items
Eight-Drawer Dresser by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture
About the Item
- Creator:Johnson Furniture Co. (Maker),Paul Frankl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 72 in (182.88 cm)Depth: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. minor nicks in wood & scratches in glass top.
- Seller Location:Dallas, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU94133290872
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.
- 3 Drawer Dresser by Russel Wright for Conant BallBy Conant Ball, Russel WrightLocated in Dallas, TXIconic early 20th century American modernist blonde maple dresser featuring drawers with wooden pulls and dovetail joints, designed by Russel Wright for Conant Ball, circa 1940. Begi...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMaple, Wood
$2,880 Sale Price20% Off - Paul McCobb "Planner Group" DresserBy Paul McCobbLocated in Dallas, TXTimeless mid-century modern 6 drawer dresser designed by Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture, circa 1950s. Maple wood construction sits on a b...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsIron
$3,840 Sale Price20% Off - Tall Chest of Drawers/Dresser by Russel Wright for Conant BallBy Conant Ball, Russel WrightLocated in Dallas, TXIconic early 20th century American modernist chest of drawers/dresser featuring drawers with wooden pulls and dovetail joints, designed by Russel Wright for Conant Ball, circa 1940. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
$3,840 Sale Price20% Off - Mid Century Walnut Dresser by Greta GrossmanBy Greta Magnusson Grossman, Glenn of CaliforniaLocated in Dallas, TXBeautiful Mid Century Walnut Dresser by Greta Grossman for Glenn of California. Classic mid-century modern design featuring warm, rich walnut wood grain, with Grossman's signature ro...Category
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Long Credenza / Double Cabinet by Renzo Rutili for Johnson FurnitureBy Johnson Furniture Company, Renzo RutiliLocated in Dallas, TXGorgeous mid Century credenza / double cabinet by Renzo Rutili for Johnson Furniture Company, circa 1950s. This statement piece consists of two chests with gold leaf door fronts and ...Category
Vintage 1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Nightstands by Russel Wright for Conant BallBy Conant Ball, Russel WrightLocated in Dallas, TXIconic pair of early 20th century American modernist nightstands featuring drawers with wooden pulls and dovetail joints, designed by Russel Wright for Conant Ball, circa 1940. Beginning in the late 1920s through the 1960s, Russel Wright created a succession of artistically distinctive and commercially successful items that helped bring modern design to the general public. Good vintage condition with some cosmetic imperfections due to age and use. Labeled with the branded mark "American Modern Built by Conant-Ball Co.". Matching dresser and chest of drawers...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
$2,560 Sale Price / set20% Off
- 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 Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated 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 10 Drawer Double Dresser Solid Brass X PullsBy Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture CompanyLocated in Rockaway, NJMid-Century Modern tan walnut finish double dresser credenza by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Paul Frankl Dresser and Nightstand for Johnson Furniture, 1950sBy Johnson Furniture Company, Paul Frankl, John StuartLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis fantastic 1950s ten-drawer double dresser and nightstand was designed by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture and retailed by John Stuart duri...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMetal
$5,700 Sale Price / set39% Off - Ten Drawer Dresser by Paul Frankl, C. 1950sBy Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated in Westport, CTA meticulously restored Paul Frankl Dresser from Johnson Furniture, a mid-century masterpiece circa 1950s. This vintage gem, designed by the iconic Paul Frankl, features 10 drawers a...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsNickel
- Pair of Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co. Walnut Six Drawer High DressersBy Paul FranklLocated in New York, NYPair of mid-century walnut high chests / dressers with six drawers mounted with X-shaped brass drawer pulls. (Paul Frankl For Johnson Furniture Co)(priced as pair).Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut