John Widdicomb French Provincial
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of...
Brass
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1970s American French Provincial Dressers
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Louis XV Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1980s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Cherry
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Louis XV Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Louis XV Credenzas
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Louis XV Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cherry, Giltwood, Lacquer
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Cherry, Lacquer
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Credenzas
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Louis XV Dressers
Brass
Vintage 1940s American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Dressers
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1940s American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1940s American Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1970s American French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Side Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Night Stands
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Louis XVI Desks
Brass
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Dressers
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Cabinets
Walnut
Vintage 1950s French Provincial Dressers
Wood, Cherry
Vintage 1950s French Provincial Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Walnut
Vintage 1950s American Louis XV Dressers
Brass
20th Century American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
20th Century American French Provincial Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Hardwood
20th Century North American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Brass
20th Century American French Provincial Credenzas
Brass
20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cherry
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Dressers
Cherry
Vintage 1960s American French Provincial Night Stands
Wood
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Sideboards
Cherry
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Louis XV Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Vintage 1970s North American French Provincial Dressers
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1960s French Provincial Dressers
Hardwood, Paint
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Night Stands
Wood, Paint
Vintage 1950s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Vintage 1940s American French Provincial Dressers
Brass
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John Widdicomb French Provincial For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a John Widdicomb French Provincial?
John Widdicomb for sale on 1stDibs
In the Widdicomb family, furniture ran in the blood. Furniture maker George Widdicomb emigrated from England to the United States in 1845, eventually setting up a cabinet shop in Syracuse, New York, before moving west to Grand Rapids, Michigan. There, he opened a shop with his four sons, including John Widdicomb, whose name would help carry the family legacy into the 20th century.
A wealth of pine and oak forests rendered Grand Rapids a logging center during the 1800s, and it eventually gained recognition for its furniture industry. The city became a destination for furniture makers who hailed from across the United States and beyond. The Widdicomb shop in Grand Rapids prospered, as the patriarch’s formal English training allowed him to produce pieces with superior craftsmanship compared to those of his competitors. Although the Civil War halted business and took the life of one of the Widdicomb brothers, the family’s survivors would start anew as Widdicomb Brothers and Richards, soon renamed the Widdicomb Furniture Company.
John Widdicomb, however, split from the family business in 1897 to create the John Widdicomb Company, where he would go on to focus on Louis XV- and French Provincial-style furnishings. Chairs made in these styles have distinct characteristics, such as floral motifs carved in the frames and gently angled backrests. John's company also remained a family affair: The founder’s son, Harry, assumed control of the company when his father died in 1910, while John's nephew Ralph Widdicombe — who retained the English spelling of his last name and joined the John Widdicomb Company at its start — designed every single piece of the offerings at his uncle's manufacturing outfit until he retired in 1951. Ralph was an internationally distinguished furniture designer whose modern mahogany bedroom suite won first prize at the Paris Exposition in 1900.
The original iteration of Widdicomb, which was helmed by John's older brother William while John ran his own brand, had shifted from making period revival styles of furniture, such as Georgian and Chippendale, to manufacturing modern pieces in the late 1920s. Admirers of mid-century modern furnishings likely recognize Widdicomb for the partnerships with iconic designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and Mario Buatta. In 1959, master woodworker George Nakashima created his Origins collection for Widdicomb when the firm merged with Mueller Furniture Corporation and was known, for around 10 years, as Widdicomb-Mueller. Origins, a revered Shaker-influenced group of nightstands, upholstered lounge chairs, dining-room tables and more, saw Nakashima working with woods like Carpathian elm and laurel in his Pennsylvania studio.
Eventually, the two Widdicomb companies would combine in 1970, operating under the name John Widdicomb Co.
In 2002, the business closed after more than a century of operations, and its assets were acquired by Stickley Furniture. Interestingly, it was not the first time Widdicomb and Stickley overlapped: In the final years of the 19th century, the companies opened a shared storehouse in London, while John Widdicomb and Albert Stickley would travel Europe together for the purposes of research.
Today, Stickley continues to produce John Widdicomb Company furniture, including French, Italian, English and Russian reproductions, as well as modern works from the first half of the 20th century.
Find vintage John Widdicomb bedroom furniture, tables, case pieces and more on 1stDibs.