Armchair ("Airline Chair")
Kem Weber
1 of 2
Caption
Kem Weber (American, born Germany, 1889–1963). Armchair ("Airline Chair"), 1934–1935. Wood, Naugahyde, leather, metal, 34 1/4 x 25 x 34 1/2 in. (87 x 63.5 x 87.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Modernism Benefit Fund, 1991.104. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Designer
Manufacturer
Title
Armchair ("Airline Chair")
Date
1934–1935
Geography
Place manufactured: Los Angeles, California, United States
Medium
Wood, Naugahyde, leather, metal
Classification
Dimensions
34 1/4 x 25 x 34 1/2 in. (87 x 63.5 x 87.6 cm)
Signatures
no signature
Inscriptions
no inscriptions
Markings
Marked in black crayon or paint on underside of seat at front, "2816"
Credit Line
Modernism Benefit Fund
Accession Number
1991.104
Frequent Art Questions
I love this chair. Could you tell me more about it?
This chair was designed by Kem Weber in 1939. The name"Airline Chair" is a reference to the cutting-edge technology of passenger flight, and was intended to make the chair itself seem modern by association. The first transatlantic passenger flight took place in 1939, between New York and Marseilles, France. The chair is upholstered in Naugahyde, an early brand of American artificial leather. Notice how the upholstery is all one smooth, continuous piece. This was made possible because artificial leather could be manufactured in long rolls, allowing large pieces of furniture to be covered seamlessly, unlike animal leather.
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