Gerald McCabe

Gerald McCabe (1927-2010) was born in Long Beach, California. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and then served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He received a bachelor's degree from UCLA and a master's from California State University Long Beach, both in fine art.
 
McCabe opened a custom furniture business in the mid-1950s. He designed furniture for companies such as Brown Saltman and Glenn of California. In the 1960s and 1970s, he designed and produced his own lines under the names Erin Furniture and Orange Crate Modern. McCabe's design is known for its modern lines, precision joinery and the combining of wood, glass and steel. 
 
His designs were included in the Case Study House #21 by architect Pierre Koenig. A famous photograph by Julius Shulman shows Koenig standing by a stereo cabinet designed by McCabe.
 
McCabe's first wife was a folk singer, and as a result of McCabe's reputation as a master woodworker, his wife's friends started bring guitars to him for repair. This side business evolved into McCabe's Guitar Shop, a music institution in Santa Monica, which became a gathering spot for music fans and musicians.
 
McCabe, known as a free spirit, also restored and sailed a tugboat, taught design at area universities and art schools, was a yoga instructor, repaired Citroen automobiles, raced cars and built his own home in Santa Monica Canyon.