Drexel Heritage Art Deco Style Mahogany Étagère with Open Shelves
View Similar Items
Drexel Heritage Art Deco Style Mahogany Étagère with Open Shelves
About the Item
- Creator:Drexel (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 92 in (233.68 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid-20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: S138XX - 114293 - 08191stDibs: LU889315891732
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 vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- Romeo Rega Style Chrome & Glass ShelvesBy Romeo RegaLocated in New York, NYRomeo Rega style modern chrome and glass shelves. In good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Acquired from a Manhattan estate. Dimensions: 78" H...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Shelves
MaterialsChrome
- Art Deco Style Black Lacquered Demilune CabinetLocated in New York, NYArt Deco Style Black Lacquered Demilune Cabinet, 20th Century. Dealer: S138XXCategory
20th Century North American Art Deco Cabinets
MaterialsLacquer
$850 Sale Price63% Off - Modern Clear Acrylic Ladder ShelvesLocated in New York, NYThe Modern Minimalist clear acrylic ladder wall shelves have approximate dimensions of 77 inches in height, 33.75 inches in width, and 17.5 inches in de...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Shelves
MaterialsAcrylic
- Karl Springer Modern Chrome & Brass EtagereBy Karl SpringerLocated in New York, NYKarl Springer (German/American, 1931-1991) Modern chrome and brass etagere with thick glass shelving. Dimensions: 82" H x 63" W x 14" D. Dealer: S138XX.Category
Late 20th Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsChrome
- Modernist Walnut Chrome and Smoke Glass EtagereLocated in New York, NYModernist walnut, chrome, and smoke glass etagere featuring a walnut top with a built-in lighting element. The etagere is supported by four chrome posts and includes four smoke glass...Category
20th Century American Shelves
MaterialsMetal
- Aesthetic Movement Bamboo Corner EtagereLocated in New York, NYAesthetic Movement bamboo corner etagere, with three faux lacquer shelves and four back back panels similarly decorated within a bamboo frame. 47...Category
20th Century Aesthetic Movement Cabinets
MaterialsFaux Bamboo, Lacquer
- Rare 19th Century New York Mahogany One-Drawer Étagère with Four ShelvesLocated in Milford, NHA rare form mahogany one drawer four shelf étagère with hinged top shelf for displaying books, prints or photographs, reverse acorn finials, nicely turned shelf supports, punched bra...Category
Antique 19th Century American Federal Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- French Empire Style 19th Century Mahogany EtagereLocated in New York, NYFrench Empire-style (19th Century) mahogany etagere with bronze trim and shaped back rail above shelves with lyre form sides.Category
Antique 19th Century French Empire Cabinets
MaterialsBronze
- Unique Art Nouveau / Jugendstil Oakwood Open Shelf Etagere, Sideboard, BuffetLocated in Lisse, NLPure Art Nouveau and good size, three shelf side table. This early and good size, Arts & Crafts period sideboard with its stunning design makes...Category
Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Shelves
MaterialsBronze
- English Georgian Period Mahogany Whatnot or Cabinet with ShelvesLocated in London, GBConstructed of a finely patinated mahogany; rising from castor shod ring turned legs, a lockable cupboard with a fielded panel enclosing a shelved interior having a single drawers ov...Category
Antique 19th Century English George IV Cabinets
MaterialsMahogany
- DREXEL HERITAGE Chippendale Flame Mahogany China CabinetBy DrexelLocated in Charlotte, NCA Chippendale style china cabinet by Drexel Heritage. Mahogany with inlaid flame mahogany, brass hardware, crown moulding with pediment...Category
Late 20th Century American Chippendale Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- English Regency Style Bamboo Etagere with Lacquered PanelsLocated in New York, NYEnglish Regency-style (19th Century) bamboo and lacquered etagere cabinet with inlaid panels on 2 front doors and drawer and detailing.Category
Antique 19th Century English Regency Cabinets
MaterialsBamboo, Paint, Bone