Six Drawer Chest by Paul Frankl

Cork Bound six drawer Chest. Excellent original color.

One of the founding fathers of American Modernism, Paul Frankl (1886-1958) was born in Vienna, Austria . He trained at both the Vienna Polytechnic and the Berlin Technische. In 1914 he came to the United States traveling across the country to San Francisco. He like many of his Central European peers was intensely interested in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, to whom he made a visit. He then went on to Japan. In 1915 he opened his first shop in New York. He designed interiors and sold both his furniture and accessories which he found on his travels. His skyscraper series of bookcases, desks etc. was his first big success. He designed a very successful line of rattan furniture. His influences from the Vienna Secessionists to Asia informed his modernist designs. His work displays a merging of styles, materials and influences. Relocation to Southern California, yielded furnishings that had a more relaxed feel as well as lightness and sophistication. He continued doing interiors and designing furniture for the Motion Picture Industry. Pursuing mass production of his designs during the late 40's he designed furniture with the Brown Saltman Company. He later established a relationship with the Johnson Furniture company for whom this chest was designed.