Pair of Edmund Spence Birch Nightstands, circa 1950s
View Similar Items
Pair of Edmund Spence Birch Nightstands, circa 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Edmond J. Spence (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)Width: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- 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.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU173523780102
Edmond J. Spence
Edmond J. Spence played an important role in promoting the tenets of Scandinavian modernism in the United States but his name remains conspicuously omitted from the history books. He was an American furniture designer who is known for having introduced the West to unfamiliar cultural tastes and translating their subtleties to appeal to mid-century-era consumers.
Spence honed his eye for good craftsmanship as a young man. His family owned a furniture manufacturing company based in Batavia, New York. While not much has been reported about his schooling, it was not long before he started designing his own nightstands, end tables, chairs and more — all of which exhibited the appealing traits associated with mid-century modern furniture. Spence experimented with form and ornament owing to inspiration he gathered from international influences.
During the 1950s, Spence drew on Asian and Swedish influences in developing ideas for his own style of modern furniture. He incorporated aspects of Mexican design to create the Continental-American collection. Manufactured in 1953 by Industria Mueblera, this collection of sculptural wooden furnishings with brass details epitomizes Spence’s ability to draw attention to the most integral parts of global design while adding his own modern spin. The designer’s Coronation Group — a series of dressers, cabinets and more in blonde woods that featured decorative birch veneers — was built by artisans in Sweden and imported for sale to postwar homeowners in the United States by Massachusetts furniture company Walpole.
Spence’s “Peineta” chair — a work of mahogany, plywood and woven palm that is demonstrative of Spanish Colonial influences and is part of the Continental-American line — has long been on display in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art while other works are held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. And if Spence hadn’t captured the hearts of Americans by way of Industria Mueblera showrooms and alluring ads in Interiors magazine, some of his furniture was used as set decoration for the widely loved sitcom I Love Lucy.
Find vintage Edmond J. Spence seating, storage and case pieces, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Restored Pair of Edmund Spence Golden Birch Wavy Front Nightstands, Sweden 1950sBy Walpole Furniture, Edmond J. SpenceLocated in Philadelphia, PABy esteemed designer Edmond Spence, these nightstands or end tables were made in Sweden for retail in the United States by Walpole Furniture. Made in the 1950s, they are reminiscent ...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBirch
- Pair of Edmond J. Spence Wave NightstandsBy Edmond J. SpenceLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of nightstands by Edmond Spence, c.1950s, Sweden. The maple nightstands feature two drawers with a unique sculpted wave front design. The stands rest on four splayed legs. Dime...Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMaple
$7,500 / set - Pair of Edmond Spence "Checkerboard" NightstandsBy Edmond J. SpenceLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis stylish pair of "Checkerboard" nightstands features the iconic design of mid-century Swedish designer Edmond J. Spence. The unique vintage pair features an interior shelf space ...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWalnut
$4,200 / set - Edmund Spence Large Square Two Drawer Cabinet End Table Nightstand StandBy Edmond J. SpenceLocated in Rockaway, NJVery nice Mid-Century Modern end side table with two drawers and solid brass pulls.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century Modern Pair of Edmond Spence NightstandsBy Edmond J. SpenceLocated in Lake Worth, FLMid Century Modern wavey front 2 drawer, pair of nightstands. Gorgeous birch wood sculptural design atop 4 long dowel legs. Designed by Edmond Spence and manufactured in Sweden. Th...Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsBirch
$3,350 / set - Edmond J. Spence, Nightstands, Rosewood, Sweden, 1950sLocated in High Point, NCA pair of rosewood nightstands or bedside cabinets designed and produced by American designer Edmond J. Spence and produced in Sweden, c. 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Night Stands
MaterialsRosewood