| Some
of the most elegant homes in the world, including palaces
and embassies, are furnished from the Stickley John Widdicomb
Collection. This collection has a long history of high style
and exquisite detailing, including intricate veneers and hand-painted
decoration. The Stickley John Widdicomb Collection tells the
world that you will accept only the very best life has to
offer.
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, when
the entire work force, including his sons, joined the Union
army.
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, had earlier become interested
in the designing of fine furniture, and when his uncle branched
out for himself, Ralph joined him. For fifty-three years,
until his retirement in 1951, all John Widdicomb Company
furniture was designed by Ralph Widdicombe, known as the
Dean of furniture designers. Ralph Widdicombe always retained
the old English spelling of his name ending with the "e".
Although Ralph Widdicombe 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 Eorope,
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.
In May of 2002, the John Widdicomb Company closed its Grand
Rapids doors and a new chapter in the history of this revered
company began. Operating as a division of the renowned L.
& J.G. Stickley, Inc., John Widdicomb is now manufactured
with pride in Manlius, New York and is positioned to flourish
for years to come.
The John Widdicomb line includes nearly one hundred French,
Italian, English, and Russian reproductions, as well as
a broad range of pieces from the Moderne tradition of the
early 20th century, all of which are crafted in limited
quantities - and in the tradition of highest quality for
which the Widdicomb name has been internationally known
for over one hundred forty-five years.
John Widdicomb furniture is available through Stickley,
Audi & Co. stores, other fine retail stores world wide,
and to interior designers through Baker Knapp and Tubbs
showrooms in major cities in the United States. |
