Michael Thonet did not invent Bentwood furniture (1798-1871), but he perfected a method for mass production. In 1819, in Boppard, Germany, he opened his cabinetmaking business, and by 1840 he had invented the steam-softening technique for bending hardwood rods into flowing yet structurally solid shapes. There are six sections and screws in his all-time classic, Model No.14.
Thonet’s process was much cheaper than the conventional carving and casting processes. It sold for .75 cents at the end of the Nineteenth Century. After Thonet’s patents expired in 1869, this chair, one of five similar designs, was widely copied. By 1886, more than 40 million chairs were sold.
The Chair That Conquered Cafés Worldwide: Thonet’s No. 4 Story!”
Dive into the history of Chair No. 4, the bentwood marvel that became a staple in cafés worldwide, and the story of its unprecedented success. Learn More
Sources
Stimpson, M. (1997). Modern furniture classics. Whitney Library of Design. https://amzn.to/3E2LZcx
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