Widdicomb Dining Table in the style of T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
View Similar Items
Widdicomb Dining Table in the style of T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
About the Item
- Creator:Widdicomb Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Similar to:T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73.03 cm)Diameter: 48 in (121.92 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1938
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Currently being refinished, you can choose stain color.
- Seller Location:St. Louis, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU82028328343
Widdicomb Furniture Co.
Admirers of vintage mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize the Widdicomb Furniture Company name for the fruitful partnerships it forged with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. But there is more to the Widdicomb story than the albeit quite covetable sofas and bedroom furniture it produced during the middle of the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids, Michigan, a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The American city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Today vintage Widdicomb seating, tables and other pieces produced during the postwar years are particularly sought after by collectors of mid-20th-century furniture.
In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Find vintage Widdicomb coffee tables, case pieces, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Curved Pedestal Dining Table with 2 LeavesBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in St. Louis, MOT.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb 1951 "trestle extension table", impressive vintage mid-century modern walnut dining table...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Dining or Desk ChairBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in St. Louis, MOListed is a single classic slat back dining chair by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb. Shown in original finish, but includes refinishing in color shown or dark espresso, custom ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Pair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb ChestsBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in St. Louis, MOPair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb four drawer chests with dowel handles. Shown in original finish, price includes refinishing as shown, or custom color options available. ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Walnut Finish Coffee or End TableBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in St. Louis, MOElegant and not very common walnut table designed by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb, rectangular table with tapered legs with notch in at top. Model 3348, label. Similar to hi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Pair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Reverse Tapered Legs End TablesBy T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.Located in St. Louis, MOPair of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb with reverse tapered legs end tables, shown in original finish. Included in price is refinishing of walnut, either as shown in lighter fi...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Side TableBy T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in St. Louis, MOSquare walnut table with elegant splayed legs in medium brown finish.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Extending Dining Table in Walnut for Widdicomb, 1950By Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Camden, MET. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings dining table with pullout end leaves on twin tripod bases with reverse tapered legs. One of Robsjohn-Gibbings scarcer designs this model 1626 walnut table wa...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
$5,000 Sale Price43% Off - Saber Leg Dining Table by Robsjohn Gibbings for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in New York, NYIconic Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb saber leg dining table. This table has great chic lines, and the sophisticated style expected from RJG. T...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century Dining Table by Robsjohn Gibbings for WiddicombBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in New York, NYIconic Mid Century dining table designed by Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb. This example is in very good, original condition, showing only light wear consistent with age. Specifically, an inconsequential veneer flaw at the corner, and light cosmetic wear - please see images. The table opens to accept a large ( 20 in W ) leaf ) extending the width from 72 to 92 inches. This listing is for the dining table only.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsAsh
- T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Walnut Expanding Dining TableBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Countryside, ILT. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Walnut Expanding Dining Table with 3 Leaves This table measures: 48 wide x 48 deep x 28.5 inches high, with a chair clearance of 25...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Robsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Saber Leg Expanding Dining TableBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Countryside, ILRobsjohn Gibbings for Widdicomb Mid Century Saber Leg Expanding Dining Table with 3 Leaves This table measures: 78 wide x 44 deep x 29.5 inches high, with a chair clearance of 28 in...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood
- T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb Walnut Sabre Leg Dining / Conference TableBy Widdicomb Furniture Co., T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in New York, NYMid-Century rectangular walnut dining / conference table with rounded corners and two expansion leaves, resting on four sabre legs. (T.H. ROBSJOHN-GIBBINGS FOR WIDDICOMB FURNITURE CO...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood, Walnut
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Jackie Kennedy and Sister Parish Placed This Tea Table in the White House
The former First Lady kept the Victorian antique, with an elegant chinoiserie design, for the rest of her life.
1970s Corporate America Has Never Looked So Chic
Photographer Susan Ressler revisits the office life of decades past, whose style still resonates.