McCobb Question for StrayLight  

Mueller and Paul McCobb
Unfortunately I haven?t been able to dig up any catalogs for the Widdicomb-Mueller pieces (their New York showroom A. H. Stiehl did put out a catalog...) but I do have a fair amount of information about it even without any catalogs.
Mueller as part of Widdicomb-Mueller manufactured Paul McCobb?s Symmetric Group furniture in Canada from 1962 til 1965. The American made Symmetric Group pieces were sold under the Widdicomb Label in the US.
http://paulmccobb.blogspot.com

This is an odd piece
because I don't think this is Symmetric, at least judging by the legs. It looks almost Directional, but not quite. I wonder if this piece is from a line unique to Mueller, and not associated to Widdicomb.

Paul MccCobb/Directional #407 Sofa
That is very clearly a #407 Directional Sofa which was manufactured by Meyer, Gunther and Martini and is first seen in 1954. No question about that the piece is unmistakeable.
I also know that in 1958 Directional started working with an unnamed factory in Canada to manufacture goods there. The following is a quote from the April, 1958 issue of Interior Design:
"The contemporary furniture collection designed by Paul McCobb will be manufactured for the first time in Canadian factories for distribution throughout the Dominion. The "Directional" grouping and "Area Plan Desks" will be distributed through Contemporary Distribution, Ltd., a wholesale showroom with display facilities at 65 Front St., E. Toronto."
It certainly seems possible, given the available facts, that Mueller might have been the unnamed factory referred to in the article.
http://paulmccobb.blogspot.com

Very interesting,
And it's a very cool feeling when puzzle pieces come together.