THE DUNBAR BOOK OF MODERN FURNITURE
Edward J. Wormley
[Edward J. Wormley]: THE DUNBAR BOOK OF MODERN FURNITURE. Berne, IN: The Dunbar Furniture Company of Indiana, Berne, Indiana, 1953. First Edition. Slim quarto. Glossy white printed boards. 56 pp. Fully illustrated in black and white and 8 color photographs. Furniture specifications. Faint offsetting to endpapers, and a few inconspicuous divots to the glossy front panel, otherwise a fine copy.
“Modernism means freedom—freedom to mix, to choose, to change, to embrace the new but to hold fast to what is good.” — Edward J. Wormley
7.5 x 10.5 hardcover book with 56 pages showcasing the contemporary furniture designed by Edward Wormley, including sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets, chests, benches, and more, all "designed for today's living." All pieces are identified by name and production number. I suspect this information could be useful to some people out there.
Not a traditional sales catalog in the sense that considerable attention is given to presenting the furniture as design pieces; many of the photographs have a sense of humor or whimsy. Wonderful period book design credited to the Harold J. Siesel Company.
“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.” — EJW
Edward Wormley (American, 1907 – 1995) was an American designer of modern furniture known for its restrained and somewhat conservative character. Wormley studied at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1920s before specializing in furniture design in the 1930s, when he began a long-lasting relationship with the Dunbar furniture company of Berne, Indiana. After World War II, Wormley set up a private practice in interior and furniture design with Dunbar as his primary client. He used wood and upholstery in a tailored way that seemed comfortable to an audience not totally ready for the austerity of International Style design. Wormley often called his designs “transitional,” and he did no hesitate to use forms as those of the ancient Greek klismos chair. His Dunbar furniture was included in a number of "Good Design" exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.