Paul T. Frankl, October 14, 1886 – March 21,1958 / Johnson Furniture Co. 1908 - 1983, Grand Rapids, Michigan
An émigré from Austria, Frankl settled in New York in 1914 and quickly saw a country awash in reproductions of uncomfortable European styles. From the start, Frankl took a different approach, designing sleek, unadorned pieces that reflected advances in American technology and changes in culture. In the early 1950s Johnson Furniture Company produced several lines by Paul Frankl, among them the “Contemporary” line, incorporating an early use of biomorphic designs.
Modern, inside-out Paul T. Frankl's sleek simplicity gave rise to a California look.