Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Cane King Headboard
About the Item
- Creator:Calvin Furniture (Manufacturer),Paul McCobb (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 37 in (93.98 cm)Width: 78 in (198.12 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Countryside, IL
- Reference Number:
Paul McCobb
The single aesthetic attribute of vintage Paul McCobb furniture is that the designer completely forsook ornament — his pieces have no flourishes. And yet, because they are honest — McCobb’s chairs, desks and dining tables are made of solid wood, usually maple or birch, often paired with frames and legs of wrought iron; the cabinets are traditionally scaled; the seating pieces have historic antecedents such as the Windsor chair — his mid-century modern work has warmth and presence.
You could call the Massachusetts-born McCobb a man of parts. As a furniture designer, his work combined the attributes of many of his now better-known peers.
Like the work of Bauhaus designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, McCobb's furniture had purity of form and line. Like the designs of Florence Knoll and George Nelson and his associates, McCobb’s work was efficient and purposeful. And even like George Nakashima, he was adept at interpreting traditional forms, in particular those of chairs, for the 20th century.
More than any other designer besides Russel Wright, with his ubiquitous ceramic tableware, McCobb was arguably responsible for the introduction of modern design into middle-class American households — if for no other reason than that he designed the 1952 set for the original Today show.
McCobb, a repeat recipient of the Good Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art, also designed cohesive lines of furnishings, such as his best-known Planner Group, that gave homes an instant “look.” He designed for several companies, most notably Directional, which was home to McCobb’s Origami chair.
In 1949, in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company, a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere. Directional opened its doors after McCobb created the high-end Directional Modern line of sofas distributed by the New York-based Modernage Company. Directional also produced designs by other legends such as Paul Evans and Vladimir Kagan.
As you can see from the offerings on 1stDibs, McCobb designs are the pin-striped suit, or the little black dress, of a decor: an essential.
Find vintage Paul McCobb credenzas, bookcases, nightstands and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Calvin Furniture
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company Calvin Furniture opened its doors in 1953 and became a sought-after contract manufacturer for the day’s top furniture designers and brands. Its appealing mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency offerings — nightstands, dressers and more — graced the showrooms of department stores all over North America during the 1950s and 1960s.
Calvin’s relationship with the work of Massachusetts-born designer Paul McCobb is well known to enthusiasts of mid-century modern furniture. McCobb, whose unadorned and efficient storage pieces, seating and desks drew on Shaker simplicity and Bauhaus minimalism, wasn’t exactly a designer for Calvin — in partnership with New York furniture salesman B.G. Mesberg, McCobb set up the Directional Furniture Company in Manhattan in 1949, and Calvin was one of the manufacturers contracted to produce the furniture he designed for Directional (and later, for pieces designed under his own name).
Among McCobb’s most acclaimed lines made by Calvin Furniture were the Calvin Group and the Irwin Collection. The travertine-topped sideboards and mahogany nightstands of those lines as well as the other Calvin-produced dressers, bookcases and chests of drawers designed by McCobb were elegant and spare, free of unnecessary embellishments.
Calvin also manufactured the very popular American Design Foundation line of furniture that Kipp Stewart and Stewart MacDougall designed. The Pennsylvania-born, California-raised MacDougall enjoyed a postwar collaboration with West Coast native Stewart that resulted in great success with manufacturers such as Glenn of California and Drexel Furniture. The duo’s celebrated Declaration line for the latter featured streamlined credenzas, dressers and more made in walnut with comely porcelain hardware. The dining chairs, tables and coffee tables manufactured by Calvin flaunt the pair’s signature clean lines, gentle curves and organic shapes.
In the late 1950s and early ‘60s, Calvin Furniture continued its business relationship with B.G. Mesberg National Sales and Directional Furniture. Calvin finally closed their doors during the early 1970s, but their legacy can be found in enduring pieces of modern furniture that remain popular today.
On 1stDibs, find a selection of vintage Calvin Furniture tables, credenzas, chairs and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Countryside, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Side Table Nightstands - PairBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Side Table Nightstands - Pair Each nightstand measures: 21 wide x 22 deep x 24 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call res...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
MaterialsWood
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Linear Mid Century Walnut and Stainless Steel Full HeadboBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Linear Mid Century Walnut and stainless steel full headboard This headboard measures: 54 wide x 1.25 deep x 36.25 in...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Walnut and Cane Coffee TableBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Mid Century Walnut and Cane Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 32 wide x 32 deep x 20.25 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCane, Walnut
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century Cane King HeadboardBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILEdward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century Cane King Headboard This headboard measures: 82 wide x 2.25 deep x 36 inches high All pieces of furniture can be had in what we call restored ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsCane, Wood
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Linear Mid-Century Vanity CabinetBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILPaul McCobb for Calvin Linear midcentury vanity cabinet This vanity cabinet measures: 75 wide x 18 deep x 40 inches high All pieces of...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vanities
MaterialsChrome
- Edward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century 2 Piece Cane King HeadboardBy Edward Wormley, Dunbar FurnitureLocated in Countryside, ILEdward Wormley for Dunbar Mid Century 2 Piece Cane King Headboard This headboard measures: 52.5 wide x 3 deep x 36.5 inches high ?All pieces of f...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsCane, Wood
- Beautiful Midcentury Cane Brass Headboard by Paul McCobb for Calvin KingBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture bed headboard #7703 in wonderful vintage condition cane shows patina. Finely crafted with brass details. Fits a King sized mattress...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsBrass
- Beautiful Mid-Century Brass Headboard by Paul McCobb for Calvin KingBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture bed headboard in wonderful vintage condition. finely crafted with brass frame with walnut details. Fits a King sized mattress...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsBrass
- Beautiful Midcentury Brass Headboard by Paul McCobb for Calvin KingBy Paul McCobb, Calvin FurnitureLocated in BROOKLYN, NYBeautiful Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture bed headboard in wonderful vintage condition. finely crafted with brass frame with red upholstery details. Fits a King sized mattress. Bed ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb "Irwin" King Headboard by Calvin FurnitureBy Calvin Furniture, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYMake your bedroom fit for a king with this truly impressive king-size headboard designed by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Measuring a substantial 78", t...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid-Century King Size Headboard, Brass and LeatherBy Paul McCobbLocated in Philadelphia, PABeautiful Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture headboard only in wonderful vintage condition. Finely crafted with brass frame with cream leather upholstery. Fits a King sized mattress...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsBrass
- Paul McCobb for Calvin Mid-Century Modern Walnut Twin Headboards, PairBy Paul McCobbLocated in South Bend, INMid-Century Modern twin headboards Designed by Paul McCobb for Calvin Furniture "Linear Group" USA, 1950s Walnut + aluminum trim Measures: 39"W x 1.25"D x 36"H Expertl...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsAluminum