FAQ
George Jacob Hunzinger (American, b. Germany, 1835–1898). Armchair, designed 1869, patented March 30, 1869. New York, New York. Wood, original upholstery, 35 5/8 x 27 1/4 x 25 1/2 in. (90.5 x 69.2 x 64.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, H. Randolph Lever Fund, 1992.208
George J. Hunzinger was perhaps the most progressive American furniture designer of the second half of the nineteenth century. He secured twenty-one patents for innovative folding chairs and beds, new structural designs, and the inventive use of old and new materials. This chair was patented in 1869 and includes Hunzinger's diagonal brace, which allowed for some of the first cantilevered chair seats. Amazingly, the chair retains its original upholstery, giving us further insight into Hunzinger's original design conceit.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum