Description
This thoroughly photogenic chair is a vintage replica of the classic Gerald Summers design…
First conceived in 1934 and produced by Summers’ own company, The Makers of Simple Furniture, this iconic form was achieved using a single plywood sheet consisting of 13 layers of cross-grained veneer, cut in four places and then pressed in a wooden mould for eight hours before the glue between the ply sheets had set. A final cut was then made along the front edge to produce the front legs, with not a single screw or nail being used in its construction.
Gerald Summers (1899–1967) was an American furniture designer whose work was strongly influenced by the wood bending techniques of Finnish designer and architect, Alvar Aalto. Although only 120 of the original chairs were ever produced, Summers achieved worldwide recognition for this groundbreaking, sinuous design.
The original chairs apparently proved too costly to produce and could not compete with the more affordable Scandinavian designs of the same era. Additionally the back legs were prone to breaking under duress… an obvious flaw in chair design!
This 1990s replica is likely a licensed reproduction by Italian steam bending supremos, Italcurvi, who were commissioned to produce a small run of this iconic design. More modern construction techniques ensures it doesn’t suffer the same issues as the 1930s original, and it is therefore completely sturdy.
It comes in good vintage condition with some marks to the seat and minor wear in places.
H75cm x W59.5cm x D90cm (seat height 33.5cm)
See the Condition Gradings section at the bottom of the website for further information on condition, and please feel free to contact me with any queries or to arrange a viewing.
Depending on your location, the delivery fee may be less if you contact me in advance.
*please note I am currently unable to ship items of this size overseas or outside of mainland UK.
