Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Interior design enthusiast, she works on the communication side, focusing on content marketing, inbound marketing, and event organization. More than a century after it was first produced, the thonet furniture companys chair no. Our bentwood furniture is made using only the finest materials available and provides the largest amount of surface area for decorating. Bentwood mission furniture arts and crafts style mission. Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the middle ages, but it is the 19thcentury germanaustrian cabinetmaker michael thonet who is most often associated with this nowclassic technique. Michael thonet austrian furniture maker britannica. These pieces often feature interesting carpentry techniques, such as dovetail and mortiseandtenon joints. Their first bentwood chair was released in 1850 and was called chair no 1. Both have woven cane seats and the number 14 pressed into the wood under. The bentwood furniture developed by michael thonet made style history and. Fischel sons in niemes, czechoslovakia, and began making bentwood furniture.
Shop bentwood furniture and other bentwood furniture from the worlds best dealers at 1stdibs. From lounge furniture to cocktail or dinner settings, decor of distinction unique range helps make any event memorable. A brief history of bentwood furniture the handbook. While bentwood furniture seems sleek and modern, its origins are decidedly 19th century. Thonet used the techniques of steambending and the pliable nature of beech wood to. Roguewood furniture represents the latest version of a long line of furniture products that began around 100 years ago when the arts and crafts movement began. While bentwood chair were actually being made at least two centuries before thonet was even born, he perfected the process which made the wood easier to bend and allows for mass production to begin. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Bentwood furniture, type of furniture made by bending wooden rods into the required shape after they have been heated with steam. In the 1940s, several canadian designers and manufacturers started producing revolutionary laminated and formedplywood furniture using. In the 1830s, he invented the vienna bentwood chair, those wooden chairs with rounded cane. All of our bentwood furniture comes right from the source, with roots in the centuriesold tradition of steambent, laminated. Bentwood news newspapers books scholar jstor january 20 learn how and when to remove this. Michael thonet and his sons set up a bentwood furniture factory in bystrice pod hostynem.
An exhibition in vienna shows how the classic chair of the citys cafes set the. See more ideas about bent wood, wood projects and wood. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. He trained as an apprentice and established his own cabinet making firm in 1819. This book gave me the info i needed but wasnt too drawn out. In those days, furniture was made with flat planks and pieces of wood and the joints were disguised by elaborate carvings. Our goal is to represent brands that are thought inspiring, design oriented, and unique.
Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The museum of modern arts exhibition history from our founding in. Among his awardwinning books are home, the most beautiful.
Our latest line of bentwood focuses on furniture and other bentwood pieces that have utility. Michael thonet 2 july 1796 3 march 1871 was a germanaustrian cabinet maker, known for the invention of bentwood furniture. Thonet bentwood furniture exhibited ath the crystal palace. Giedion in his book mechanization takes command terms them form purified by. There is something about bentwood furniture that is classic, clean and sculptural. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. It was the first factory in canada to develop the bentwood chair, made by a process in which the wood was heated by steam and then bent to the desired shape. The sleek curves that reshaped furniture design the new york. Fischels son, alexander, had worked at thonet bros.
Bentwood mission furniture is made in beautiful grants pass, oregon. Bentwood furniture tables, trays, lamps and wastebaskets. I recently purchased two bentwood chairs at an antique shop in a nearby town. Bentwood furniture, tubular steel furniture, and molded plywood furniture. Bentwood objects are those made by wetting wood either by soaking or by steaming, then bending it and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns in furniture making this method is often used in the production of rocking chairs, cafe chairs, and other light furniture. We were attracted to a bentwood chair with a curved hoop for the back, thin.
Thonet was the son of the master tanner franz anton. An exhibition of historic bentwood furniture from the collection of john sailer, vienna. Furniture was now affordable for and available to the general public. In 1946, ercol exhibited its bentwood furniture at the britain can make it exhibition, held at the victoria and albert museum, london. In one of my first blogs, i gave an overview of this mission line. In the 1830s, thonet attempted to construct furniture, mainly chairs, from bent wooden slats and glue.
Although bentwood furniture has its origins in the 1800s, it is as fresh and modern as ever owing to its simple, clean forms and economy of quality natural materials. A bentwood chair is sometimes called a thonet chair in honor of its creator michael thonet. All of our bentwood furniture comes right from the source, with roots in. The first chair to be massproduced was the bentwood, developed by michael thonet toenet. Michael thonet germanaustrian, 17961871 was the founder of the furniture firm which bears his name. North american bent chair company north american bent. Bentwood furniture was invented by michael thonet, who was granted patents for his invention in england, france, and belgium in 1841. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
How to tell the age of a thonet bentwood wicker rocker. With acres of lush greenery, bentwood is the perfect place to host anything from an intimate wedding or birthday party, to a large scale corporate event or retreat. Bentwood chairs skip to main search results amazon prime. Bentwood furniture, inc mission, bentwood, american made. After much experimentation, the skilled craftsman developed an entirely novel method of creating designs with wood by bending it with steam. Choose from bread boxes, half round wastebaskets, serving trays, ottomans. Today, a museum in the factory in frankenberg showcases the firms history and the thonet design. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. In furniture making this method is often used in the production of rocking. The bentwood method of furniture making was developed by germanaustrian cabinet maker, michael thonet 17861871. Bentwood design works with cutting edge manufacturers dedicated to the craft of creating amazing, functional furniture and fabrics. Our story bentwood luxury kitchens bentwood luxury. They began the furniture making plant known as the north american bent chair co.
These pieces represented a unique combination of simple yet functional styling and quality construction. Ercols innovation meant the chair could be assembled from 14 preformed components, and mechanisation meant that a chair could be made every 20 seconds. Wood bending and forming contemporary furniture design. We offer a wide ranging collection of new and antique bentwood seating, dating from the 1870s to today. Michael thonet, born july 2, 1796, boppard, trier germanydied march 3, 1871, vienna, germanaustrian pioneer in the industrialization of furniture manufacture, whose experiments in the production of bentwood furniture widely influenced both contemporary and modern styles and whose functional and exquisitely designed chairs are still being manufactured.
Primitive furniture, also commonly called early american country furniture, refers to handmade tables, desks, dressers, and chairs from before the era of mass production. Decor of distinction offers clients the opportunity to hire an unmatched range of high end event furniture, chairs and catering equipment. I took a trip to northern california last summer to meet my new husbands grandparents, and made it a working trip along the way. Bent wood and metal furniture 18501946 ostergard, derek e. A global view covers the major historical movements in furniture design from prehistoric periods through contemporary times and includes parts of the world that traditional history books ignore or underserve, such as africa and china. Bentwood is one of the most versatile venues in central texas, and our space can transform into whatever your imagination desires. Bentwood furniture, based in grants pass, oregon, has been building heirloomquality, solid hardwood furniture for 40 years. Bentwood furniture was a huge success in those times because it broke free from the traditional furniture making methods. Bentwood furniture catalogs, furniture austriacatalogs. It has many photos of lots of furniture from case pieces to tables and chairs. Pick from a large list of exterior textures in wood, glass or metal the result is a kitchen that is uniquely yours. When the patents expired in 1871, david gabriel fischel founded d. At huset furniture melbourne, we offer a vast collection of new yet original bentwood seating, ranging from classic bentwood dining chair forms, to the newer, more modern.
So this week i thought i would touch on the work of thonet, one of the most recognized chair designers in history. In my mind, what makes michael thonet 17961871 one of the most fascinating furniture designers is his clean and modern. Learn about bentwood the austrian bentwood furniture designed by michael thonet 17961871 was among the 19th centurys most original contributions to furniture development. History since the 1830s, when michael thonet began producing laminated and steambent chairs in europe, manufacturers and designers have explored the design and economic advantages of bentwood. Below is a detailed list with appropriate data for each frame. Sadly, the large manufacturers put the small furniture makers and shops out of business. Bentwood objects are those made by wetting wood then bending it and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns. Although this method of bending wood was used by makers of the windsor chair in the 18th century, it was not until the 1840s that its possibilities were exploited fully. Consult an authoritative source and study the pictures to familiarize yourself with the different designs of different eras. I wanted to know more about shaker furniture so i could help explain to my clients why they would or wouldnt want to do a shaker style in their home. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Today, every bentwood kitchen is an original design that melds exquisite, furniture grade cabinetry with standard functional interior features like self closing soft closing hinges and drawer guides, and all plywood cabinet boxes.