Arthur Umanoff Desk
View Similar Items
Arthur Umanoff Desk
About the Item
- Creator:Arthur Umanoff (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.5 in (85.09 cm)Width: 37 in (93.98 cm)Depth: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Missing pull out drawer, and one leg knob. White top has been repainted. Presents wonderfully and sturdy.
- Seller Location:Stockton, NJ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2689322564752
Arthur Umanoff
Though much of Arthur Umanoff’s furniture is marked by a no-frills simplicity common in American mid-century modern design, his work is anything but one-note. Over the course of a prolific career, Umanoff designed everything from case pieces to candleholders to dining chairs in iron, leather, walnut, wicker and more. With furnishings for a broad range of manufacturers throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, Umanoff continued a thread of sculptural elegance and textural sensitivity through his designs.
After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early 1950s, Umanoff experimented mostly with wood furniture before landing a job at Post Modern Ltd, a New York manufacturer of wrought-iron furniture. There he produced furnishings that married wrought iron with wood and plastic, creating functional pieces free of utilitarian bulkiness. Umanoff continued his experimentation with mixed materials through a partnership with Shaver Howard, for whom he designed wine racks in combinations of iron, leather and wicker.
When Shaver Howard bought Boyeur Scott, Umanoff conceived several furniture designs for the brand, including the 1964 Granada collection, whose curlicue iron bases, visible through glass tops, stand out as some of his most ornate and decorative work. Indeed, much of Umanoff’s oeuvre is far more simplistic, like iron-and-pine armchairs for The Elton Co. or low-backed, slatted-seat barstools with slender iron legs for Raymor.
Umanoff was fluent, too, in the more sumptuous modernism of the era: In the mid-1960s, he designed the 2405 and 4449 armchairs for Madison Furniture Industries. Popular in offices, the walnut-framed, leather-upholstered seats, which could have been mistaken for the seductive Scandinavian modern seating of the era, were reportedly the jumping-off point for Captain Kirk’s iconic seat on Star Trek.
Even as he is among the mid-century modern designers you may not know, with work across such a range of styles and manufacturers (most no longer in business), Umanoff, who died in 1985, leaves a legacy that is fascinatingly diverse and at times enticingly elusive, making his work intriguing objects for collectors.
Find vintage Arthur Umanoff furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Florence Knoll "T" Angle Mahogany TableBy Knoll, Florence KnollLocated in Stockton, NJA Florence Knoll "T" angle square table with iron frame and mahogany top. The newly finished top is treated to be used indoor or outside.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsIron
- Frank Guille Elliptical Dining TableBy Frank GuilleLocated in Stockton, NJAn interesting and unique elliptical dining table by Frank Guille. Oval shaped top with teak and wood joinery inlay and beveled edge.Category
Vintage 1960s British Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTeak
- Set of Eight Dining Chairs Attributed to Ico ParisiBy Ico ParisiLocated in Stockton, NJA set of eight rare dining chairs attributed to Ico Parisi. Wonderful proportions and design. Excellent condition with new tweed upholstery.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Victor Davis "8th and Broadway", 1952Located in Stockton, NJOil on board titled "8th and Broadway" by Cincinnati artist Victor Davis. Signed lower left margin and additional information in verso. In a vintage ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
MaterialsWood, Paint
- Pair of Midcentury Ceramic Table LampsLocated in Stockton, NJA pair of tall midcentury table lamps. Consisting of two gourd shaped spheres, one crackled and the other smooth. Shown with original tall ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsCeramic
$1,100 / set - Set of 4 Bill Stephens for Knoll ArmchairsBy Knoll, Bill StephensLocated in Stockton, NJA set of four Bill Stephens for knoll armchairs in dark stained bentwood oak frames. Ready for reupholstery.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOak, Upholstery
$295 / item
- Vintage Arthur Umanoff 'Student' DeskBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage 'student' desk by Arthur Umanoff. Black iron frame and shelf with walnut top and drawers. Brass-plated pulls with plenty of patina.Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass, Iron
- Arthur Umanoff Desk and ChairBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Los Angeles, CAArthur Umanoff desk and chair. Extremely elegant and timeless design made with an iron frame, walnut slats and rush accents giving it it's classic Umanoff look. One middle drawer and...Category
Vintage 1950s American Desks
MaterialsIron
$5,500 / set - Wonderful Arthur Umanoff Olivewood Chrome Desk Mid-Century ModernBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Pemberton, NJWonderful Arthur Umanoff olivewood and chrome desk. We love the great looking burled olivewood top with two hidden drawers against the angular chromed legs. Top is in great shape wit...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Spindle Side Table by Arthur UmanoffBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Long Island City, NYA Pair of side tables designed by Arthur Umanoff. These tables feature a sturdy walnut base with spindle details, paired with a fun mix of black and white on the round tabletops.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWalnut, Paint
$6,750 / set - Arthur Umanoff Wrought Iron TableBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in Stamford, CTSmall wrought iron side table from the Grenada collection designed by Arthur Umanoff and manufactured by Boyuer Scott Company.Category
Vintage 1960s American Side Tables
MaterialsWrought Iron
- Arthur Umanoff Patio Set Vintage 1960sBy Arthur UmanoffLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA charming Arthur Umanoff patio set-dining table with four armchairs. Freshly powdercoated and seats reupholstered. Table measures 30" H, 42" D.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets