Mid2Mod: Edward Wormley

Edward Wormley (1907-1995) studied interior design through a correspondence course while still in high school. He enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1926, but financial difficulties forced him to drop out after a year and look for work. He soon found a job at Marshall Field's design studio.

However, it was with the Dunbar Furniture Company that Wormley's name is most often associated. He started working there in 1931 and would remain, on and off, for the next thirty years, eventually serving as the design director. Wormley was given the task of refining Dunbar's collection of wood and upholstered furniture. He brought a sleek, refined elegance to the company's products.

Wormley opened an office of his own in New York in 1945. He designed the "Precedent" collection for Drexel in 1947, complicating his relationship with Dunbar for a period of several years, but tensions had eased by the late 1950s.

From lostcityarts.com