Esoteric Survey

1947 drawing of a house Luther Conover designed for himself in Tiburon, Marin County, CA  The actual house was built in 1956 and some changes were made to this design.  Conover worked on the house with his architect friend Gale Taffinder. 
Sketches by Spencer Deverill Source: Arts & Architecture, 1947

Harry Jackson (R) with architect Jon Konigshofer (L). Jackson was the owner of Jacksons furniture, which was based in Oakland, CA. He was also the impetus behind the Pacifica design movement.  
"I'd created a program I called PACIFICA in which the living style of the Pacific Ocean basin was contrasted with  our traditional European ties. This was reflected in architecture, interior furnishings and apparel." - Harry Jackson Recollections on Pacifica
Image: Life Magazine, 1951
Image: Life Magazine, 1951
Image: Life Magazine, 1951
Photo shoot for House Beautiful Magazine, with Conover and Muriel Coleman pieces on the set.
Photo: M.Parker, Huntington Library 


1953 Oakland Tribune Jacksons Pacifica ad, with Luther Conover  table and stools. "Taking its theme from Japanese culture, adapting the restraint of Japanese designs to furnishings for American homes."

Pacifica was the synthesis of Japanese and American concepts of design and arrangement.

R 20th has a nice set of dressers for sale.  These don't come up for sale very often, especially in a non-mahogany. Check them out here. 
Upholstered chair at Reform. Check them out here. 
This guy has one too. Check it out here.
One of the best Conover tables ever at Weinberg Modern Check it out here.
Chair at R 20th Check it out here. 

Luther Conover (middle with the flannel) and his crew. Late 1940's Photo: CA Modern magazine

There was a recent post on LACMA's blog "Unframed" that   includes this Luther Conover chair, videos of John Kapel and  Kay Sekimachi, and information on Sam Maloof. The author of the post bought the Conover chair for $80! Check it out: What Is It About Chairs? 

Just In Modern
Designer: Luther W. Conover, Sausalito, CA

Luther Conover
Muriel Coleman
Pacifica Logo

Opening Night of the Exhibit
Greta Grossman Screen
Luther Conover
Eames Organic Design Chair 
Maurice Martine
Mitchel Bobrick Controlight, Greta Grossman Lamps, Paul Laszlo Chair
Dan Johnson Desk
Tepper Meyer Model
Tepper Meyer Convertible Table
Textiles: Ray Eames, Barney Reid, Alvin Lustig

PACIFICA This has been a very successful attempt to organize an attitude of mind, to state a way of living in  terms of the objects that create the  environment within a house. It is a gathering together of many  things for the purpose not only of illustrating a theme, but in order to bring into reality the means of  achieving pleasant informality in present-day servantless living. In general the tone derives from the  implications of the title given to it, and the work itself leans heavily upon the enormous background  developed through the years by designers, artists, and architects working in Western America who  have been influenced by the patterns of the living devices of the Pacific cultures.  - Arts & Architecture

Luther Conover

VKG, Conover