Monday, September 26, 2011

Baumritter Corporation

Theodore Baumritter and his brother-in-law Nathan C. Ancell started a housewares company in 1932, making plaster gnomes, trellises and garden swings. Three years later, they paid $25,000 for a bankrupt furniture factory in Beecher Falls, Vermont, and began manufacturing furniture. In 1939 the company introduced a line of "Early American" furniture they called Ethan Allen.

By 1962, Baumritter and Ancell owned 14 furniture factories in the East. By the middle of the 1960's, the Baumritter Corporation had the largest group of furniture in the world, with a 1,600-piece line to choose from. They also had stores by that time in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Australia, and Canada. In 1970, Baumritter retired, and Ancell took over the company. In 1972, The Baumritter Corporation officially changed its name to Ethan Allen Industries.

Viko was the Baumritter Corporation's modern line, which was produced in the 1950s and 1960s. There were only around 150 pieces in the modern line. Many of the upholstered pieces had reversible cushions.

From nytimes.com and fundinguniverse.com

Baumritter chairs in our store

Side view of our Baumritter chairs

Reversible cusions - stripe and solid

Danish style lounge chair
reformobjects.com

Swivel chairs
apartmenttherapy.com

Club chair
etsy.com - AtwoodVintage

Danish style lounge chairs
1stdibs.com

Swivel chairs
irwinfelddesign.1stdibs.com

Sofa
brooklynvintage.com

Lacquered desk
susanerdesignboutique.1stdibs.com
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8 comments:

  1. Tanya from Dans le LakehouseSeptember 26, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    Reversible cushions? Such genius design.

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  2. Vintage HunterSeptember 26, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    That is a beautiful pair of chairs! I recently sold a Baumritter Viko dining set that I had. I loved the swivel chairs that came with it - they were really well made. I'd love to find a pair of swivel chairs like the striped ones you have pictured.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dana@Mid2ModSeptember 26, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    @Tanya: Such a simple concept. I don't know why more designers don't do it.

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  4. Dana@Mid2ModSeptember 26, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    @Vintage Hunter: Those striped swivel chairs are my favorites too. They're so gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  5. DearHelenHartmanSeptember 26, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    Used to sit in my Aunt Bette's swivel chairs that looked very much like those white ones (but they were orange) and spin and spin and spin until I was dizzy. Explains a lot, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dana@Mid2ModSeptember 26, 2011 at 8:04 PM

    @DearHelenHartman: Swivel chairs are one of the best things in life...even for adults. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. FloSeptember 27, 2011 at 3:35 PM

    So sleek and elegant. Those chairs are lovely. My favorites are the ones for sale in your shop. When people talk about furniture having "good bones" I'm pretty sure this is exactly what they mean.

    I also very much liked reading the humble beginnings of the Ethan Allen company. =)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dana@Mid2ModSeptember 27, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    @Flo: I would never have guessed in a million years that the Ethan Allen company got its start selling garden gnomes...LOL

    ReplyDelete