American Design 
15 August 2023
American Design 
336

Edward Wormley

Japanese print block cabinets, models 5723B and 5724

Dunbar
USA, 1957
walnut, rosewood, laminate, carved wood, brass 77¾ h × 66 w × 20 d in (197 × 168 × 51 cm)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
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Cabinet features eight doors concealing six adjustable shelves and seven drawers. Upper door fronts with inset carved Japanese print blocks. Brass manufacturer's label to interiors of one drawer to each upper and lower cabinet ‘Dunbar Berne Indiana’.
provenance: Acquired directly from the producer by the original owner | Thence by descent
literature: Dunbar Furniture Corp. of Berne, Indiana: Edward J. Wormley Designs for Dunbar, manufacturer's catalog, unpaginated

This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.

This item is subject to CITES regulations. Rago Wright LLC. cannot provide the required documentation needed for export out of the United States; therefore, this item is only eligible for domestic shipping.
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Modernism means freedom–freedom to mix, to choose, to change, to embrace the new, but to hold fast to what is good.

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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