American Design 
23 February 2023
American Design 
197

Edward Wormley

Janus cabinet, model 5728A

Dunbar
USA, c. 1956
lacquered mahogany, brass, Natzler glazed ceramic 42 h × 60¼ w × 19¼ d in (107 × 153 × 49 cm)
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $1,965
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Cabinet features five drawers, single door and bi-fold door concealing two small drawers above four shelves with brass pulls featuring glazed ceramic tiles designed by Gertrude and Otto Natzler. Applied metal manufacturer's label to drawer interior ‘Dunbar Berne, Indiana’.
provenance: Important Private Collection
literature: Edward Wormley Designs for Dunbar: The Janus Collection, manufacturer's catalog, 1957, ppg. 62-63

This work will ship from LAMA in Los Angeles, California.

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Furniture is needed for practical reasons, and because it must be there, it may as well be as pleasant as possible to look at, and in a less definable psychological way, comforting to the spirit.

Edward Wormley

Edward Wormley 1907–1995

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Born in rural Illinois in 1907, Edward Wormley’s interest in design originated early in life and led him to later study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to financial reasons, Wormley dropped out after 2 years and began his first job in an interior design studio before joining the Indiana-based Dunbar Furniture Company where he served as director of design for nearly 40 years.

Following World War II, Wormley became an independent consultant branching out to design textiles, globe stands, and showrooms. He designed award winning collections for Drexel Furniture Company and was included in the Good Design shows of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Characteristic of his design elements were functional engineering, decorative laminated plywood, and unconventional upholstery.

Wormley characteristically honored aesthetic qualities, following influences of Scandinavian modernism, while maintaining utilitarian qualities and “designing for the needs” of others. His work is timeless and of the highest quality. Wormley died in 1995, but his legacy is celebrated in collections including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Museum of Decorative Arts in Montreal.

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