Mt Airy Walnut Desk and Chair for John Stuart
About the Item
- Creator:John Stuart (Retailer),Mount Airy Furniture Company (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1962
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. finish loss to tops of arms on chair.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU843038766822
John Stuart
Grand Rapids, Michigan, was once known as “Furniture City” for its local mass-production industry that flourished from the mid-19th century into the early 20th century, led by furniture manufacturers like John Stuart. Stuart’s eponymous company, which would build showrooms in New York and Philadelphia, designed and sold elegant reproductions of various furniture styles, including 18th-century French and English furniture as well as what we now call mid-century modern home furnishings built by European craftsmen in the entrepreneur’s Grand Rapids factory.
In 1845, a British cabinetmaker named George Widdicomb arrived in New York before moving to Grand Rapids. There he set up a small cabinet shop in 1857 with a dozen craftsmen, including his son John Widdicomb. The store quickly found success due to Widdicomb’s English training and the dearth of other quality furniture makers in the region. Toward the end of the 19th century, Grand Rapids had earned an international reputation as a leader of American furniture manufacturing, and while the Widdicomb family would navigate some difficulty after the Civil War, they emerged anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, and then the Widdicomb Furniture Company. Widdicomb’s son started his own company in 1897, the John Widdicomb Company, and in 1929, the Grand Rapids–born John Stuart joined the company as a director.
Stuart, who had been in the furniture industry since 1913, was named president of John Widdicomb Company in the early 1940s and by then had formed John Stuart, Inc., with partner Herbert M. Rothschild. John Stuart, Inc.’s offerings included oak buffets and other dining-room furnishings crafted in the Tudor and Elizabethan styles, with cabinet doors and drawer fronts characterized by meticulously carved natural-world motifs and other decorative flourishes. Stuart also oversaw the design of reproductions of sophisticated walnut and mahogany Queen Anne side tables and dining chairs, with the latter marked by pronounced, vase-shaped curves in the back splats and cabriole legs. In 1952, the manufacturer and distributor’s founder sold the business, including the right to trade under his name, to the John Widdicomb Company.
Find a wide variety of vintage John Stuart furniture on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Walnut
Mid-20th Century North American Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Chrome
Late 20th Century American Campaign Desks
Oak
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Enamel, Iron
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Aluminum
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Brass
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Metal
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Lounge Chairs
Cane, Beech
