Early Warren McArthur J-Leg 36" Round Table, Patent Applied For Label, 1933–34

This early Warren McArthur Corporation round table—manufactured in Rome, New York in 1933–34—is an excellent example from the designer’s first production years. The original green McArthur Rome, NY label is present and marked “Patent Applied For,” only found only on the earliest works produced just after the company’s relocation to Rome, NY in 1933. Pieces bearing this label representing the foundational period of McArthur’s industrial design vision.

The table features McArthur’s signature aluminum tubing, early ribbed joinery executed here with an elegantly curved J-form leg and a suspended vertical center tube that is a visually elegant and structurally important component. This early J- leg profile would evolve in later designs. The base incorporates his characteristic compression assembled frame. The ribbed joinery, all intact and exhibiting the subtle patina expected of an unrestored early example.

The lightweight structural clarity—anodized aluminum tube held in place on five vertical internal steel rods similar in its compression assembly to that of a brass bed with threaded bolts at each end. The ribbed discs have center-drilled holes for the rods, milled half rounds to grasp the horizontal cross tubes and incised rings to hold the vertical tubes in place—this attention to the structural and visual details speaks to McArthur’s engineering background and his pioneering contribution to Machine Age American furniture.

The 36-inch round top is a later replacement, likely manufactured in the 1960s, executed in a matte black surface that complements the industrial aluminum frame while providing a durable, functional tabletop. This custom top sits cleanly within the visual vocabulary of McArthur’s work and makes the table immediately usable as a dining table, breakfast table, or work surface.

Standing at 30 inches high, the table is well-scaled for contemporary interiors while preserving all the charm and innovation of McArthur’s early industrial modernism. An early rare Warren McArthur table.