Came across this little cabinet a while back and haven't had any luck pegging the designer or production. Although it certainly smacks of Aalto I've only found extremely similar examples, nothing concrete. Solid construction. Handle design is interesting. Birch veneer which has seen better days sadly. But I quite like it and would appreciate any info...
What a therapeutic exercise, posting one of these threads!
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Pascoe
That's a 1949 two drawer chest from Pascoe Inc.
According to the 1949 Pascoe Inc. catalog, Section D: Storage
This is a #9518 2 Drawer Chest (18" long x 15" high) with attached LA-201 legs (probably produced in 1950/51 if it has the attached legs like this) with the "magic touch" drawer pull option.
Mystery solved.
More Pascoe
We have this Pascoe two piece credenza/ buffet. The top piece can rest on the bottom or mount on the wall. It's marked with a label so I've always known that it's Pascoe, though I do not know the model number.
Straylight, I've always been a bit confused about the relationship between Clifford Pascoe and Alvar Aalto. I know that they opened a store, Artek-Pascoe Inc in NY and I think Pascoe produced Aalto designs in the US as well as designs by Clifford Pascoe. Do you know more about their work together or the company (companies)?
Cheers, straylight...
So I guess the question is, as Pegboard stated, what's the relation with this piece to Aalto and/or Pascoe? I'm a big fan of both so it's nice to hear both were involved in some form. But I'd be very interested in what role each played. Looks like I have a new research obsession to immerse myself in. The wife will be ecstatic...
More about Artek-Pascoe
Artek-Pascoe was formed in July 1940 as the US manufacturing and showroom arm for Alvar Aalto's designs. Artek-Pascoe did not only produce Alvar Aalto's designs however, the company is also notable for being the original US producer of the Hardoy Butterfly chair in 1941.
During the wartime years Artek-Pascoe, like most US manufacturing concerns, concentrated mainly on wartime contracts, producing little furniture, they did not get back to producing furniture full time until late 1945 this return to furniture manufacturing was short lived and Artek-Pascoe closed their doors sometime in late 1947, thus ending all association between Alvar Aalto and Clifford Pascoe. I get the impression that the split was not friendly.
In late 1948 we see the formation of Pascoe Inc. which sold a range of Aalto influenced designs such as the cabinet this thread was started on and Pegboard's piece as well. Pascoe Inc. does not last long closing their doors in late 1950.
Clifford Pascoe is seemingly indefatigable and resurfaces once more in 1951 as Modernmasters Inc. selling their own versions of the Aalto stools, the Hardoy chairs, and other furniture designs lifted largely from the catalogs of Knoll and Paul McCobb. It is with Modernmasters that Pascoe seems to have his greatest success. Operating primarily via mail order after 1954 certain staples of Modernmasters production will continue to sell for years to come; the Aalto stools, the Hardoy chair and the Paul McCobb chair copies were all available through Madden Products (which I believe was a Pascoe shell company) well into the late 60's
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