Editor: Jeni Porter
Publisher: Ark Journal
2019
 
213 x 290 mm
104 pages
Hardcover with Dust Jacket
 
With a focus on the beautiful shapes, this book highlights McCobb's designs from 1946 until his early death in 1969 across 104 graphically illustrated pages. The paragraphs are complemented with statements from collectors, curators, manufacturers and subject experts.
 
Yogi Proctor, a collector from Los Angeles: "It started with a bench. A thin rectangular plane of wood resting atop a slim black iron base. A heat brand Paul McCobb - Planner Group burned into the underside of the wood. Clean and simple. The bench held space like a line drawing holds the eye. It equally held my attention. That was 2005. My entree into collecting Paul McCobb design pieces. Little information existed at the time, so collecting became my research. Through that precise combination of wood, iron, and the brand mark, I found more pieces, further figuring out how they fit together – literally and as a design story. It became clear the Planner Group was an expansive, modular furniture set, and more so that McCobb was a pioneer. His furniture collections were a first for his time, 1950s America. Planner Group became emblematic of the newfound prosperity and the home-making boom that came with it. Today I now enjoy the way all the pieces and ideas fit together. My home is now only McCobb's work. I live with his design, and I am always re-arranging pieces. It's more than furniture, it is living with a way of thinking in form. One that is open, adaptable, and accepting of change. These qualities resonate into everyday life."