Child's Armchair
1 of 4
Object Label
Michael Thonet (1796-1871)
Bentwood furniture, perhaps the most ubiquitous type of furniture worldwide, is indebted to the nineteenth-century innovations of Michael Thonet. Although the process—which involves steaming wood and bending it into curved shapes—had been used since ancient times to manufacture not only furniture but also wheels, barrels, and boat hulls, Thonet’s application of it in the 1830s was revolutionary. Thonet was the first designer to fuse the means of production and design to create superior products: his chairs were stronger, lighter, and less expensive than traditionally made ones. He was also a master of marketing, selling his designs through catalogues and an international chain of stores. He offered the same piece of furniture in different colors, and he produced pieces for adults, children, and even dolls (as seen here) to capture as much of the consumer market as possible.
Caption
Gebrüder Thonet Austrian, founded Vienna, 1842. Child's Armchair, ca. 1875. Copper beech, modern caning, metal screws, 24 3/4 x 14 x 17 1/4 in. (62.9 x 35.6 x 43.8 cm) seat height: 12 in. (30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Barry R. Harwood, 83.155. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 83.155_PS6.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Manufacturer
Title
Child's Armchair
Date
ca. 1875
Geography
Place manufactured: Vienna, Austria
Medium
Copper beech, modern caning, metal screws
Classification
Dimensions
24 3/4 x 14 x 17 1/4 in. (62.9 x 35.6 x 43.8 cm) seat height: 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Markings
Paper label affixed to inside of seat frame; dirty with some fragments missing. Long,oval-shaped design within rectangular label, with elaborate interlaced pattern. The crossed letters "GT" in the center and at each end.
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Barry R. Harwood
Accession Number
83.155
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
Were children smaller?
The item is for a child but one of average size, much like those of today. It's a small version of Thonet's first mass-produced product, the No 14 chair, first made in 1859.
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