Glenn of California was a furniture company based in Arcadia, California, that was at the forefront of the California Modernist design movement in the 1940s and 1950s. The most significant influence on the development of the company was the California Modern collection by Milo Baughman and Greta Magnusson Grossman. Using walnut, iron and Formica, they created a distinctive Los Angeles style.
Other well-known designers who created furniture for Glenn of California were Paul Laszlo, John Kapel, Robert Baron, Stanley Young and Kipp Stewart.
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| Milo Baughman desk midcenturia.com |
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| Multicolored chest bloomberry.eu |
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| Chest of drawers by John Kapel 1stdibs.com |
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| Milo Baughman credenza redmodernfurniture.com |
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| Stanley Young chest redmodernfurniture.com |
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| Greta Grossman chairs pichaus.com |
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| Milo Baughman table thedesignaddict.blogspot.com |
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| Three-panel folding screen pichaus.com |
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| Paul Laszlo chair dcdesigncoop.com |
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| Kipp Stewart coffee table 1stdibs.com |
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| Robert Baron nightstands danishmodernla.com |
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| Glenn of California label redmodernfurniture.com |
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| Early mark on a Greta Grossman "Good Design" chair midcenturymoderndesignfinds.blogspot.com |
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I love the desk...what a super statement piece!
ReplyDeleteBaughman and Greta Grossman designed a number of incredibly modern pieces for the company, and I think that desk was one of the stand-outs.
DeleteI'll have the folding screen, what stylish whimsy! ......and the desk too :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'm putting in my order for that coffee table with the built-in planter. Such fun!
DeleteDear Santa: I would like the multicolored chest & the folding screen.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sure Santa gets the message. :)
DeleteDana, I have been meaning to read this post. I have been curious about this manufacturer. What a bunch of good looking things, don't you think? My favorites are the first 2 at the top. I like that idea of lacquer with the wood. Hmmm.... Okay, look at those two nightstands again, and look at this piece I got on eBay. John Stuart. Interesting, huh? Really close match. http://www.midcenturymodernremodel.com/2012/08/purging-pottery-barn-from-mid-century.html -- Who copied who?
ReplyDeleteYour armoire is beautiful! And it really is close in design to the Baron bedside tables. The longer I deal with mid-century furniture, the more I find similar pieces by different designers, and who copied whom is sometimes very difficult to figure out, unless you get lucky and find dated brochures or magazine ads. I don't know if you had started following my blog when I did the series on "You Look So Familiar," but it was about look-alike pieces. Sometimes it seems there really is nothing new under the sun.
DeleteIn this case, nobody copied. That "John Stuart" armoire was produced for John Stuart by Glenn of California.
DeleteI. Like. All. Of. It.
ReplyDeleteMe.too. :)
DeleteI'm lucky to have a John Capel dresser, designed as a 4 drawer sid
Deletee-by-side, side magazine cabinet with pull out writing table and a round end table.
So many people don't realize or recognize the history and design specific to LA Modern.
You're right that the California Modernist movement played an important role in the history of Modernism.
DeleteRobert Baron is my father. He (at 87 years of age) is enjoying the renewed interest in Glenn's work. I suspect my brother ( a former Glenn executive) might be noodling within this blog
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your love of something our father worked so hard at
M Baron ( the Craig of Craig Nealee)
Thanks for stopping by my blog and sharing this information. I'm glad you found the post!
DeleteHi there. Is there any way I can get in touch with you or someone in the family? Thank you.
DeleteI never communicated to you that regretably our Pop (Robert Baron) passed last March at the age of 88. He was some talented kind of person.
ReplyDeleteThanks for shining light on his passion
I was very impressed with the furniture designed by John Kapel and manufactured by Glenn. In the late seventies, I purchased a complete bedroom set, including a pair of nightstands, a lowboy dresser and a high dresser, and a headboard for California king bed, all of which were in oiled walnut veneer. Upon delivery, I found numerous places where the walnut veneer had split, and been crudely masked, the walnut of the nightstands, and the dressers did not match in coloring. In other words, it looked as if they had sent me a pile of rejects. I ordered the whole lot returned and replaced. The replacements were somewhat better, although the walnut veneer of the high walnut dresser contained a knot, which marred the appearance. Over the forty odd years since buying this set, I have had, repeatedly found it necessary to repair the drawers of the two dressers, as either the bottoms fell out or the fronts came off. In general, I found the quality of manufacture very poor. My understanding is that the company went out of business shortly after my purchase, which is hardly surprising.
ReplyDeleteI can offer a little information on the origins of Glenn, if you wish. Dana, you are welcome to contact me at innerqidoc at Yahoo. It may take me a few days to reply, but I'm glad to offer what I can.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot one of their best designers. Richard Thompson (my father) he is in his 80"s now lives in Prescott Az and still drives Ducati motorcycles!
ReplyDeleteHello- I have a dining set that I believe was designed by your father Richard Thompson. Could you help me verify?
DeleteHello, I have a tall dresser that I believe is from Richard Thompson. Can you reach me at carlreezer @ gmail.com? Thank you
DeleteHas anybody ever heard of Walter of Wabash for Glenn of California? Does anyone have any information on his pieces? I'm having the hardest time researching a surfboard dining table with two leaves. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
ReplyDeleteI have recently come across 2 nightstands with the "Carson Glenn California" label. I cant find any information of a "Carson" named designer there. They seem to be made out of veneer or laminate? Just having the hardest time finding out any information on these pieces! Any advice/knowledge would be appreciated greatly!
ReplyDeleteDid you find out anything on the Carson label? I just bought a dresser labeled Carson Glenn California.... Incan not find anything either
ReplyDeleteHere's some information that might help...
ReplyDelete1. Walter of Wabash was (is) a producer of table slides (the mechanism that expands the top permitting insertion of leaves). Here's an example, http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Pair-Walter-Of-Wabash-Wood-Table-Top-Table-Slides-16-closed-to-30-open-/380752913594
2. At some point, Glenn of California moved from Arcadia to Carson, CA. At that time, the small disc glued into the top drawer was changed to indicate the new manufacturing location.
I have a glen of California 8 drawer dresser with a hutch on it the hutch is straight I have small chips on 2 drawers I would like to see them I don’t want 7,000 for them 3000 would be cool 8057429149
ReplyDelete