Harold Schwartz Sideboards

A rare and important American Art Deco Century of Progress Sideboard by iconic designer Wolfgang Hoffmann (Austrian, 1900-1969) for Romweber Company, Batesville, Indiana. circa 1933-1936 Created for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, fine quality craftsmanship and construction, having a rectangular exotic rosewood veneered top over conforming solid wood case fitted with four drawers affixed with horizontal pulls, the top drawer opening to reveal felt lined divided interior for silverware, flanked by cabinet doors opening to shelved interior, subtle geometric lines add interest. Rosewood, mahogany, richly figured blonde - golden birch or primavera. Signed, top drawer interior, featuring 1933 World's Fair mark impressed. **Please note, at the time of writing this, a matching display case - vitrine cabinet (shown in last photo) is currently available separately** Provenance / Acquisition: Property from the important and iconic Collection of Mr. James I. Rafftesaeth Jr., Dallas, Texas Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. 2022 Design Signature Auction catalog #8091 History: Wolfgang Hoffmann was born in Vienna, Austria in 1900. He is the son of famous architect, pedagogue and Wiener Werkstatte cofounder, Joseph Hoffmann (1870-1956). Early on, following his father’s s interests, he was trained in the decorative arts and design. Wolfgang Hoffmann once reminisced, “I spent eight years at the Realschule, then three years went to a special architectural school, where I perfected my technical knowledge of architecture and general construction. From this school, I was graduated to the Kunstgewerbeschule [Studying under Oskar Strnad and Josef Frank in Vienna]. After finishing this school, I had one and a half years of practical in a well known architect’s office. Thereafter I worked in my Father’s office for two years”. Hoffmann met his future wife, Polish immigrant Pola (1902-1984) when they were both studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule. Joseph Urban (1872-1933) was needing an assistant for his architectural business in New York and contacted his friend and colleague, Joseph Hoffmann in Vienna. Hoffmann recommended his son Wolfgang. Urban hired him and sent a first class passage ticket to Vienna for Wolfgang to travel to New York. Wolfgang married Pola and traded his ticket for two tickets to America in steerage, arriving in New York City in December of 1925. Leaving the Urban office after nine months, Wolfgang and Pola formed an independent design practice with offices on Madison Avenue in Manhattan with the purpose of creating contemporary interiors and industrial designs. Early work included theaters, stores, and apartments mostly in New York City. During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s the Hoffmanns designed custom furniture for private clients. Some of these examples were shown in the February 1929 issue of House and Garden. Curiously, the examples’ design was attributed to Urban and the production to Pola Hoffmann, Inc. Established in the fall of 1928, the American Designers’ Gallery was “devoted exclusively to showing objects and interiors for practical use… by fourteen American architects and designers”. Its members included the Hoffmans and Urban as well as ceramist Henry Varnum Poor (1888-1971), architect Raymond Hood (1881-1934), artist designer Winold Reiss (1886-1953), graphic designer Lucien Bernhard (1896-1981), decorator Donald Deskey (1894-1989), and architect Ely Jacques Kahn (1884-1972). The Hoffmanns’ work was included in the American Designers’ Gallery’s two showcase events, its 1928 and 1929 exhibitions. Their dining alcove at the 1929 event featured a bench with a dinette table and two chairs in American walnut designed by Wolfgang and a rug by Pola. Lucien Bernhard, fellow Austrian immigrant who settled in New York a year before the Hoffmanns, operated the gallery and decorating service Contempora with Munich resident Bruno Paul (1874-1968). The Hoffmanns, occasionally participating with Contempora, designed a number of outstanding interiors, including the constructivist living room of 1930 for Mrs. O.R. Sommerich at 40 East 66th street. In 1934, Donald Deskey commissioned Wolfgang to design birchwood furnishings for the eclectic apartment at 625 Park Avenue belonging to Helena Rubinstein. In 1931, Wolfgang exhibited his work at the Pennsylvania Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The same year, with Kem Weber (1889-1963) he organized the second and final exhibition of AUDAC- “Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts”- at the Brooklyn Museum. At this event, the Hoffmanns showed the dining room previously included in the American Designer’s Gallery’s 1929 exhibition in the Chase Bank Building lobby at 145 West 57th Street in Manhattan. In 1932 Wolfgang was asked to assist Urban in developing the color scheme for the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair “A Century of Progress”. He was also commissioned to design the interior and furniture for the fair’s lumber industries house. There he executed its living and dining rooms furnished by Kroehler Manufacturing Company of Chicago; the boys’ room by Shower Brothers...

Danish Modern Oak Floating Sideboard by Poul Cadovius for Cado 1960s. Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern 2 bay wall unit model Cado with back panels. This is a original vintage floatin...

Danish Modern Oak Floating Sideboard by Poul Cadovius for Cado 1960s. Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern 2 bay wall unit model Cado with back panels. This is a original vintage floatin...

An exceptional French Provincial Louis XV style sideboard, credenza, or bar cabinet By Romweber USA, Circa 1920s Gorgeous book-matched exotic burled acacia wood, with carved cabri...

Superb antique french oak allegorical cabinet, sideboard, server, buffet, liquor cabinet or bar~~highly carved with barley twist pillars and biblical scene carvings ~~c. 1880s This is a must see! Outstanding 19th century French oak exquisitely carved "Allegorical" sideboard, liquor cabinet or bar, server, or buffet~~barley twist posts with lion capitals and exquisitely carved biblical figures and scenes~~twin cherub masks serve as pulls for two upper drawers~~beautifully carved sides The top left drop down door portrays a devil with his imps and goat on a tether. The top right drop down door portrays Pegasus with muses. The lower left cabinet door features Adam and Eve with forbidden fruit and the snake in the Garden of Eden! The lower right door shows God sending an angel to expel them! This cabinet tells age-old story and is one of a kind with tons of storage~~this would make a wonderful bar or liquor cabinet or use in an office, study or library for supply storage~~quilt or linen storage in a large bath...

This unique flip-top bar cabinet by Harvey Probber, circa 1950s, is packed full of useful features and is beautifully crafted from bleached Mahogany, doors with contrasting grain whi...

Mid-Century Modern credenza by Paul Evans for "Directional". Burl walnut veneer patch work panels with metal patch work base. Signed on the left side base. (Please confirm item loca...

Floating sideboard designed by Cees Braakman for Pastoe. What makes this sideboard unique is the rare oak, a material rarely used in Braakman’s designs. The warm oak tones give it ...

A stunning burled olivewood credenza designed by Roger Sprunger for Dunbar, this exquisite piece exemplifies mid-century modern elegance. The credenza features gorgeous wood grain an...

A rare and exquisite Jorgen Hansen and Jens Thuesen "Futura Bar Cabinet" for Romweber Furniture Co. circa 1959. The unique deep relief propeller sculpted so...

Mid-Century Modern Harold Schwartz for Romweber Buffet. Many storage openings for flatware & china. A unique butterfly joinery- bow-tie design on the t...

Early 20th Century English Chippendale / Georgian style China Hutch / Curio / Display Cabinet by Romweber Industries. Circa 1920s. Made from crotch mahogany with a graceful breakfro...