Edward Wormley

Edward Wormley
Born	(1907-12-31)December 31, 1907 Oswego, Illinois United States
Died	November 3, 1995(1995-11-03) (aged 87) Norwalk, Connecticut United States
Occupation	Architect
Partner	Edward Crouse
Design	A-frame wood chair Ledge-armed tufted sofa

Edward J. Wormley for Dunbar Furniture, Tree filer (mod. 4765), 1947

Edward J Wormley (December 31, 1907 – November 3, 1995) was an American designer of modern furniture. His furniture represented a convergence of historical design and 20th century innovation that still has appeal among contemporary collectors.

Early life

Wormley was born in Oswego, Illinois. He contracted polio in early childhood, preventing him from walking until he was five and leaving him with a lifelong limp. His family moved to Rochelle, Illinois, where at the age of twelve he met eleven-year-old Edward C. Crouse, who would become his lifelong partner. The two became close friends, and as teenagers entered into a sexual relationship.

Wormley and Crouse maintained a frequent and affectionate correspondence when Crouse left for college in 1925, calling each other "dear heart," discussing "passionate encounters," and planning their future life. "We’ll have to wait, though," Crouse wrote in one letter, "until we're (heavens, I almost wrote 'married'!) living together." Around Christmas of that year, the young couple told their families about their relationship.

Design career

In 1926, Wormley briefly studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, but had to leave after three terms due to financial issues. He began work as an interior designer for Marshall Field's. During the Depression, Wormley was introduced to the president of the Dunbar Furniture Company in Berne, Indiana, who hired him to upgrade their product line.

Wormley and Crouse continued their frequent correspondence through the 1930s and early 1940s. The relationship was a rocky one: Wormley was frequently insecure, and Crouse struggled with his sexuality, often expressing disgust and despair, and spent periods "trying to be Regular." Nevertheless, the two consistently expressed deep affection for each other and took long vacations together. They wrote to each other about their sexual encounters with other men, but insisted that their relationship was the most important one in their lives. By 1941, the two men were referring to each other as "husband" (Crouse) and "wife" (Wormley).

In 1942, Wormley was the head of the furniture unit of the wartime Office of Price Administration. After leaving in 1944, he founded Edward Wormley and Associates, a design firm with Dunbar as its major client. In 1944, Dunbar decided to focus strictly on Modern lines, and Wormley began incorporating European and Scandinavian innovations into his work. His eye for quality and the exacting craftsmanship at Dunbar made for furniture that was elegant, understated and exceptionally well-made. Wormley was never really at the forefront of Modern design. Instead, he took the best elements from classical, historical design and translated them into Modern vernacular. The result was furniture that was sophisticated, yet mainstream and very successful.

Wormley and Crouse bought a house together in Weston, Connecticut in 1947, and remained there for the rest of their lives.

Good Design exhibitions

Wormley's inclusion in the Good Design exhibit series staged by the Museum of Modern Art and the Merchandise Mart between 1950 and 1955 allowed him to gain additional recognition by including his work alongside more prominent designers like Bertoia, Nelson and Eames.

In 1950, three of Edward Wormley’s works were on display at the Good Design exhibit: an adjustable upholstered wood armchair, a “Short John” coffee table with laminated wood legs, and a “Repartee” gray carpet. By the end of the Good Design exhibitions in 1955, thirty Wormley pieces has awarded the Good Design designation.

Wormley's tables

Wormley's tile-topped tables, created as part of the Janus line in 1957 for the Dunbar Furniture Company, were a partnership between Modern production design aesthetic and the tile traditions of Tiffany and Otto Natzler. Dining tables, stacking tables, and other occasional tables manufactured by Dunbar have also been popular at auction.

Retirement and death

Wormley retired in 1967, alongside Crouse, who had joined him in his design work. The couple frequently traveled together until Crouse's death from cancer in 1975. Wormley lived until 1995, when he died after two heart attacks. He was buried with his parents in Oswego, Illinois.

Further reading

• Marie FERRAN-WABBES, Wormley - Dunbar. Edward J Wormley (1907 - 1995). Design Director of Dunbar Furniture, translated from French by Caroline SUNDERLAND-DE MOUBRAY, Paris, 2017, 117 pp. ISBN 978-1981874583