The previous installment of this series on the topic of shell chairs included a 1957 crossover piece by Hans Olsen that had small wing-style arms, but the design element appeared much earlier than that. Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames designed their Organic Chair in the late 1940s, and Eames capitalized on the design later with his DAX chair, which will be included in yet another category.
Harry Bertoia's svelte Bird Chair made subtle use of the feature, while Robin Day's spectacular Royal Festival Hall chair took modern seating to the brink of flight.
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| Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen Organic chair - 1940 loc.gov |
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| Eero Saarinen Womb chair - 1948 treadwaygallery.com |
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| Jupp Ernst chair by Helmut Lortz - 1950s grainedit.com |
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| Thonet - 1950s 1stdibs.com |
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| Robin Day Royal Festival Hall chair - 1951 theargus.co.uk |
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| Harry Bertoia Bird chair - 1952 knoll.com |
I really love the look of all these. The Royal Festival Hall is stunning! This series you are putting together is too fun!
ReplyDeleteI always had an idea in the back of my mind that a lot of lookalikes are floating around out there, but I had never really categorized them or put them on a timeline. When I started writing this, I realized there are lots more than I imagined and even more that are an amalgam of several different designs. It's been fun to research and write about this "borrowing" of ideas.
DeleteI love that you put these on a timeline.
ReplyDeleteIt really helps figure out who "influenced" whom, huh? :) Many of the pieces I've found are almost total knockoffs.
DeleteWe have the reproduction organic chair. The "wings" make it so, so comfortable. I love realizing that certain design elements were actually thoughtful, meant to make a piece fit the body. Ah, smart design.
ReplyDeleteYes, those arms are ergonomic masterpieces, before that became a widely used word.
DeleteLove the whimsy of the Robin Day Royal Festival Chair, not to mention the color matching beautifully with the wood.
ReplyDeleteRobin Day is one of my favorite designers, and he was very honest about the influence others had on his work. I love the Royal Festival Hall chair too. My favorite thing about it is the asymmetrical back cushion.
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