Credits/Images: The Daily Telegraph, Rachael Smith Photography
No 214 et al
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Bentwood chairs by Thonet are so familiar, but what of the technical innovation and history behind them? The most iconic of them all, Chair No 14 (today known as Chair No 214) looks more at home in a 20th century cafe than a Victorian parlour, but was actually first produced commercially in 1859. It proved an immediate and continuing hit, so much so that by 1930 some 50 million of them had been sold around the world. Made of only six components glued together (with no screws or nails), it is one of the world's first mass-produced chairs, and is still being manufactured today.
I have 2 of these chairs, and it's amazing when I find them in shops priced like "thonet" and they are reproductions
ReplyDeleteWow, It's nice to see that some companies still produce this way. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteTonia, yes, its such a shame that all the great iconic chairs have expensive fake friends!
ReplyDeleteEmeraldson, thanks for your comments. Just been over to your site (again) - the imagery is amazing!
These chairs are timeless. Are there any books you could recommend that are about modern chairs?
ReplyDeleteThanks.