Nothing Low about this Lowboy

A lowboy dresser is a long, waist-high chest of drawers. This vintage example is a marvelous mid-century modern creation by Bassett Furniture. The dresser's minimalist sleek lines and tapered legs exemplify the streamline styling of this period. As it typical of Bassett furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, this piece combines fine wood veneers and quality craftsmanship with a wood-grained formica top; the formica top was considered a modern and practical alternative to wood veneer, as it was durable and resistant to scratches and moisture.

Bassett Furniture was founded in 1902 in Bassett, Virginia by J. D. Bassett, Sr. (for whom the town was in fact named), as a way to utilize scrap wood from the family sawmill. Joined by his two brothers and brother-in-law, the family furniture company thrived and in 1930 became Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. The company is in fact still largely under family control. Ever innovative, the company was an early adaptor of mass production, while still maintaining high quality, and catering to consumer tastes, such as adding upholstered furniture in the 1930s and introducing popular mid-century modern designs in the 1950s and 60s. Faced with foreign competition from countries such as China, which decimated the American furniture industry, the company, under John Bassett III, fought back, streamlining the operations to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The company survived and continues to manufacture furniture made in the U.S.A.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

Easy on the Eyes

This handsome vintage cabinet. . . 

. . . is an early version of a home entertainment system.

The television is the "Easy-Vision" model manufactured by the Hoffman Radio and Television Company. 

In 1941, H. Leslie Hoffman, a florescent lamp salesman, purchased the bankrupt Mission Bell Radio company, and around 1948, the company began manufacturing televisions. as well. The company lacked the resources of established businesses such as Phlico or Zeneth and needed sources of inexpensive materials. Early televisions required protective safety glass on the front of the screen to prevent injury in case the picture tube imploded; Hoffman used yellow Plexiglas manufactured for aircraft, as it inexpensive and available in large quantities. This gave the television screen a yellow-green tint, but the creative Hoffman claimed that the tint reduced eye strain, marketing his televisions as "Easy Vision."  By 1950, his company was the largest west coast producer of televisions. The company was part of the first coast-to-coast color broadcast in this country when, on January 1, 1954, the Tournament of Roses Parade was broadcast in color. Hoffman also founded Hoffman Electronics Corporation, which manufactured a wide range of consumer, industrial and military products. He died in 1971, and six years later the board of directors sold the businesses

Not only does the television provide "easy-vision," but easy listening as well, as there is a pull-out record player in the drawer uber the television screen. The alcove next to the screen could be used to store the records. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

168380-46