BD492
Two piece sofa by Widdicomb, Mid 20th C.
32" high,
51" & 87" wide, 33" deep
In
1858 George Widdicomb, father of John Widdicomb, came from Devonshire, England
to settle in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He gathered together twelve craftsmen and
set up a small cabinet shop, which prospered from the start. His English training
was different from the frontier training of the average small town cabinetmaker
and his well made furniture found a ready market. The outbreak of the Civil
War put a sudden end to the new enterprise. Following the war, George Widdicomb
was joined by his four sons, John, Harry, William and George, Jr., and the business
started up again. The trade, entirely local to start with, was quickly expanded.
The Widdicomb name soon became known in Chicago, then East as far as Boston,
Philadelphia and New York. In 1897, one of the boys, John Widdicomb, felt the
need for a plan of his own and started in a small way making interior woodwork
and fireplace mantels on a site across the street from that of his father. Ralph
Widdicombe, a nephew of John joined him and for 53 years, until his retirement
in 1951, all John Widdicomb Company furniture was designed by Ralph Widdicombe,
known as the Dean of furniture designers. Ralph always retained the old English
spelling of his name ending with the "e". Although Ralph will always be remembered
best for his classical designs, he was awarded first prize for his Modern bedroom
suite at the Paris Exposition in 1900. In 1924, working from models he had procured
in Europe, Ralph Widdicombe introduced Louis XV Provincial designs, which were
the first of their kind to be made in this country, and started the wave of
popularity for French Provincial that still continues. The Widdicomb name, which
had been shared by two manufacturers since John left his father in 1897, was
brought together again in November of 1970, when John Widdicomb Company purchased
the name and goodwill of the Widdicomb Furniture Company, the latter having
ceased production several years previously.
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