Paul Frankl Corner Tables, Lacquered Cork and Mahogany, 1951
About the Item
- Creator:Johnson Furniture Co. (Manufacturer),Paul Frankl (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.25 in (71.76 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1951
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU85062061542
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Houston, TX
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Paul Frankl Cork Coffee Table, 1951By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.Located in Houston, TXPaul Frankl. Coffee table. Johnson Furniture Company, USA, circa 1951. Lacquered cork, lacquered mahogany. Dimensions: 60 D x 14.25 H inches. Rare lacquered cork coffee t...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCork, Mahogany
- Paul Frankl Custom Sofa, 1940s, Pair AvailableBy Paul FranklLocated in Houston, TXPaul Frankl sofa, matched pair available, USA, circa 1944. From an important estate. Silk over oak frame. Measure: 88 W x 27 D x 33 H in. 224 W x ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSilk, Oak
- Paul Frankl Custom Sofa, Pair Available, 1940sBy Paul FranklLocated in Houston, TXPaul Frankl sofa, matched pair available. USA, circa 1944. From an important estate. Silk over oak frame. Measures: 88 W x 27 D x 33 H in. 224 W x...Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSilk, Wood
- Paul Evans Sculpted Metal Dining TableBy Paul EvansLocated in Houston, TXPaul Evans Rare sculpted metal dining table Paul Evans Studio gilt, welded and patinated steel, glass Measures: 29 ¾ x 98 x 48 in. (75.6 x 248.9 x 121.9 cm).Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Paul Evans Rare and Large Argente Studio CabinetBy Paul EvansLocated in Houston, TXPaul Evans Argente cabinet Paul Evans Studio USA Welded aluminum, lacquered wood, felt, leather, welded steel Measures: 80 H × 36.5 W × 21.5 D in Rare studio bench-made Argente ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsAluminum
- Richard Meier Dining Table for KnollBy Richard Meier, KnollLocated in Houston, TXRichard Meier Dining table Knoll USA, 1982 Maple Measures: 27.5 H × 96 W × 60 W in Large dining table. In original condition. Table and ten chairs are separate listings.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsMaple
- Paul Frankl Lacquered Cork Top Dark Mahogany TableBy Paul FranklLocated in Westport, CTRare Paul Frankl crème lacquered cork top dark mahogany square designed base. In exceptional condition and nice size.Category
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsCork, Mahogany
- Cork End Table by Paul FranklBy Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated in Sagaponack, NYA two-tiered end table in mahogany having a triangular cork top and an overhanging lower shelf edged with a lip.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsCork, Mahogany
- Cork-Topped End Table by Paul FranklBy Johnson Furniture Co., Paul FranklLocated in Sagaponack, NYTapered dowel legs support a bleached mahogany two (2) drawer end table with a cork top, having hammered brass round pulls.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Paul Frankl Cork Nightstands 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 pair of cork top waterf...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Cork Top End Tables by Paul FranklBy Paul FranklLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA pair of cork top end tables by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture, ca' 1950's. Triangular top with protruding lower shelf these are modern and organic. Rare to find as a pair.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsMaple, Cork
- Large Paul Frankl Lamp Table with CorkBy Paul FranklLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA classic cork top side table or occasional table by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture, USA, ca' 1940's. Two tier design with a stylized greek key base. The table is very heavy.Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsMaple, Cork