And then there was Drexel

Edward Wormley

Edward Wormley went to work for Dunbar Furniture in 1931 and is probably known best for the designs he did for them. He decided to open his own New York office in 1945, agreeing to continue as a consultant to Dunbar. He went back to Dunbar in 1957.

In between stints with Dunbar, he produced the Precedent collection for competing Drexel Furniture Company. The collection was given its name because “it promised to set so many bright new standards in contemporary living.” It featured bleached mahogany, silver elm, beechwood, solid brass handles and sliding panels. Wormley created 100 pieces for the Precedent collection, combining the essence of modern design with tradition. His work was featured in the Good Design show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1951 and 1952.

His work for Drexel put a strain on his relationship with Dunbar, so for a time after the Precedent collection came out, he found it prudent to maintain a lower profile, designing showrooms, textiles and small objects like the popular Cosmopolitan globe stand for Rand McNally.

From r20thcentury.com and furniturebrands.typepad.com

Advertising brochure
furniturebrands.typepad.com

1951 magazine ad
ebay.com - Seller: whitemtnhowdy

Dresser
bondandbowery.com

Tiered end tables
momoderne.net

Dining chair
vandm.com

Desk
vandm.com

Dining chairs
metroretro.com

Sofa
1stdibs.com

Chest
1stdibs.com

Coffee table
treadwaygallery.com

Side table
treadwaygallery.com

In the store: Drexel Precedent, Braun stereo and Robert Preusser art

We're happy to add several unique pieces to our store. This time my SIL has outdone himself, bringing in some rarely-seen items that are bound to cause quite a stir.

An out-of-town buying trip turned up a gorgeous Drexel Precedent desk/vanity by Edward Wormley. If it weren't already nice enough, it already has glass cut for the top.

Equally exciting is a tube stereo, circa 1958, by Herbert Hirsch for Braun with a Deiter Rams interface. My SIL calls it "the iPod of the 1950s."

Finally, check out the large piece of art by Robert Preusser above the stereo. I'll be posting more about the artist soon.

Drexel Precedent desk by Edward Wormley

Braun stereo by Herbert Hirsch
 and Polyurethane Relief #7 (1968) by Robert Preusser

Braun stereo, turntable

The delightful agony of craigslist

My friends would tell you I’m about as mentally healthy a person as they know, but I have to confess a secret they haven't guessed.  There’s a tiny masochist in me that comes out and sits on my shoulder and makes me look at all the fantastic mid-century items on craigslist around the country…things that are too far away and too expensive to have shipped to Texas...things that other people can have, but I can't. 

Since misery loves company, I’m going to share these finds with you.  If you’re lucky, I might have uncovered something near you.  If not, you’ll suffer right along with me.  And just to be sure, I’m going to include some items from the Dallas-Fort Worth area that I can get to. 

Read 'em and weep. :)

Broyhill Brasilia bookcase
Seattle craigslist

Eero Saarinen marble tulip table
Nashville craigslist

Paul McCobb Planner Group chairs
Denver craigslist

Mies Brno chairs
Philadelphia craigslist

Edward Wormley Drexel Precedent chest
(This piece is being sold by a dealer
 I've bought from so often that I consider him a friend  now.)
Dallas craiglist

Warren Platner lounge set
(So near, and yet so far...
This set is just a few streets from me in my own neighborhood...
but the seller wants over $15,000 for the set.)
Fort Worth craigslist

 Adrian Pearsall chair
(Still out of reach, unless I put it on layaway...
The asking price is $2500 for this chair.)
Dallas craigslist

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

Tete a Tete sofa
1stdibs.com

Sheaf of Wheat side table
1stdibs.com

Sideboard
1stdibs.com

Listen to Me chaise
1stdibs.com

Lounge chairs
1stdibs.com

Pronunciation Guide