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Harvey Probber Desks

American, 1922-2003

A popular designer who had his heyday from the late 1940s into the 1970s, Harvey Probber is one of the post-war American creative spirits whose work has been recently rediscovered by collectors. His designs are by-and-large simple and elegant, but his signal achievement was to pioneer one of the key innovations of mid-20th century furniture: sectional, or modular, seating.

Even as a teenager, the Brooklyn-born Probber was making sketches of furniture designs — and selling them to Manhattan furniture companies. He began working as a designer for an upholsterer once he finished high school and, apart from a few evening classes he took as an adult at Pratt Institute, he was self-taught about design and furniture making.

After wartime service — and a stint as a lounge singer — Probber founded his own company in the late 1940s. A lifelong familiarity with the needs of New York–apartment dwellers doubtless sparked his most noteworthy creation: a line of seating pieces in basic geometric shapes — wedges, squares, half-circles — that could be arranged and combined as needed. Modular furniture remained the core idea of Probber’s business throughout his career.

As a self-trained designer, Probber was never wed to any particular aesthetic. He preferred the simple lines now associated with mid-century modernism for their inherent practicality, but often used hardware to enliven the look of his pieces, or added elements — such as a ceramic insert in the center of a round dining table — that was visually interesting and could serve as a trivet. He gravitated toward bright fabrics with attractive, touchable textures that might be satin-like or nubbly. Above all, Probber insisted that the sofas, case goods and other products that came out of his Fall River, Massachusetts, factory be built to last.

“The quality of aging gracefully,” Probber once told an interviewer, is “design's fourth dimension.” This quality he realized: Probber furniture is just as useful and alluring now as it was when made — and maybe even more stylish.

Find a collection of vintage Harvey Probber side tables, sectional sofas, chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Harvey Probber
Vintage Midcentury Table Desk by Harvey Probber
Vintage Midcentury Table Desk by Harvey Probber

Vintage Midcentury Table Desk by Harvey Probber

$7,920Sale Price|20% Off

Vintage Midcentury Table Desk by Harvey Probber

By Harvey Probber

Located in Pasadena, TX

Harvey Probber His pieces displayed the same combination of high style and popular appeal: his were no sterile creations in tubular steel; Probber's work shares more in common with Art Deco than with the machine aesthetic...

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1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Harvey Probber Desks

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Harvey Probber American Mid-Century 'Boat Top' Polished Walnut Writing Desk
Harvey Probber American Mid-Century 'Boat Top' Polished Walnut Writing Desk

Harvey Probber American Mid-Century 'Boat Top' Polished Walnut Writing Desk

$14,000

Harvey Probber American Mid-Century 'Boat Top' Polished Walnut Writing Desk

By Harvey Probber

Located in Queens, NY

American Mid-Century polished walnut table desk with a 'boat' form top resting on a bracket-shaped walnut base. (HARVEY PROBBER) Finish is original.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Harvey Probber Desks

Materials

Wood, Walnut

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Rare Executive Desk in Herring Bone, Marble, and Walnut by Harvey Probber
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Harvey Probber desks for sale on 1stDibs.

Harvey Probber desks are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Harvey Probber desks, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original desks by Harvey Probber were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider desks by John Van Koert, John Stuart, and Jim Sweeney. Prices for Harvey Probber desks can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,500 and can go as high as $14,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,500.

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