McCabe opened a custom furniture business in the mid-1950s. He designed furniture for companies such as Brown Saltman and Glenn of California. In the 1960s and 1970s, he designed and produced his own lines under the names Erin Furniture and Orange Crate Modern. McCabe's design is known for its modern lines, precision joinery and the combining of wood, glass and steel.
His designs were included in the Case Study House #21 by architect Pierre Koenig. A famous photograph by Julius Shulman shows Koenig standing by a stereo cabinet designed by McCabe.
McCabe's first wife was a folk singer, and as a result of McCabe's reputation as a master woodworker, his wife's friends started bring guitars to him for repair. This side business evolved into McCabe's Guitar Shop, a music institution in Santa Monica, which became a gathering spot for music fans and musicians.
McCabe, known as a free spirit, also restored and sailed a tugboat, taught design at area universities and art schools, was a yoga instructor, repaired Citroen automobiles, raced cars and built his own home in Santa Monica Canyon.
From latimes.com
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| Photo by Julius Shulman of Case Study House #21 pichaus.com |
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| Flip table (used as a coffee table or dining table) latimes.com |
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| Armchairs 1stdibs.com |
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| 3-drawer desk reformgallery.1stdibs.com |
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| Clamp table vandm.com |
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| Steel frame sofa latimes.com |
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| Chrome and glass table |
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| Convertible side table reformgallery.1stdibs.com |
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| Coffee table wright20.com |
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| Dining table and chair reformgallery.1stdibs.com |
First my mind went to the graphic with the people and stereo and I wanted to caption it. Janice tensed when Larry went to the stereo. If he played Puff the Magic Dragon AGAIN she didn't know if she could control herself.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I noticed is how much these designs remind me of some of the stuff done by the Picker Sisters (not my fav show, btw)
Loving the armchairs!
ReplyDelete@DearHelenHartman: Hilarious caption, even if it is anachronistic, since the photo was taken in 1960, and the song came out in 1963. ;)~
ReplyDeleteAnd yikes about the Picker Sisters. Their stuff reminds me of Trading Spaces.
@1950sarh: I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like those chairs!
ReplyDeletei never knew that mcabe's guitar shop & designer mcabe were one in the same! thanks for the history lesson!
ReplyDeletewow...such a multifaceted personality...and he must have had a very vibrant and pleasing attitude to be what he was :).the profile pic says it all
ReplyDelete@Carey Brown Stombotne: I think it's interesting that he gained as much or more fame from the guitar shop as from his designs.
ReplyDelete@Sudha: He must have been quite a free-spirited character. His family reported that his last words were "Yabba dabba doo." Although he suffered from Alzheimer's, I have a feeling those would have been his last words anyway. He seemed to know how to get a lot of fun out of everything in life.
ReplyDeleteJerry (as I knew him) was my 1st cousin, and though I knew he had Alzheimer's and moved to Washington be under the care of his daughters, I sadly did not have contact with him in the last few years of his life. His mother was my favorite aunt and Jerry was often with us for family get-togethers. He was indeed always fun even though he was 18 years older than me. He was strange combination of laid-back and intense. I still lived near him after I was grown and married, and went out on his tugboat, laughed at his funny Citreon car, and of course, knew about the Guitar Shop and the furniture--I have two of his Orange Crates--but he was, well, just Jerry to me. I never had any idea that his furniture is now worth small fortunes! I laugh to speculate on what he would have thought about that. And yes, yabba dabba do is about right. Thank you for this walk do down memory lane!!
ReplyDeleteSorry. I forgot to give my name: Cheryl Fallick Genet. I don't have a URL, but I can be found on FaceBook
ReplyDelete