Thonet, the pioneer

Everyone knows Thonet’s No. 14 chair, also known as the “bistro chair”, sold over 50 million copies worldwide. But few know that it marked the history of furniture. A look back at a company unlike any other.

Once upon a time, there was the Thonet n ° 14 chair, a chair that made history. More than the illustrious personalities who sat there – let us quote, among others, Johannes Brahms, Lenin, Charlie Chaplin, Picasso or even Marylin Monroe – its manufacture in itself has revolutionized the world of furniture. It all started at the end of the 19th century. Michael Thonet, German master carpenter, set up his workshop in Boppard on the Rhine in 1819 where he experimented with new manufacturing techniques. His fame quickly gained the imperial court which brought him to Vienna in 1842. He notably contributed to the furnishing of the Palaces Lichtenstein, Schwarzenberg and the famous Viennese café Daum. Carrying out the first tests of bent wood, he subsequently succeeded in perfecting the technique of bending solid wood (successful after long exposure to water and steam using strips of iron sheet in molds of cast iron). Inventor, his talent does not stop there. His idea is simple: to create a line of removable furniture, the spare parts of which will be mass-produced. Thanks to him, the industrial revolution crossed the doors of the workshops. In 1859, the number 14 café chair, carrying the exclusive technique of curved solid wood, symbolized this entry into a new era. In six parts, connected by 8 screws, it can be assembled, disassembled and transported easily. Imagine: the 216 parts of 36 No. 14 chairs represent only one cubic meter in volume! By its perfect design, its functionality, its maneuverability, its price, it very quickly knows the success. The Thonet house continues its momentum. Curved wood inspired the greatest designers, such as Otto Wagner who created the “Art Nouveau 247” armchair in 1904. In 1912, the production of the family business reached its highest level: two million different items were manufactured and sold around the world. In the 1930s, the Thonet house, in the hands of the descendants of Michael, innovated again by becoming the world’s largest producer of tubular steel furniture and distinguished itself with models by Marcel Breuer, Mart Stam and Mies van der Rohe. A century and a half and five generations of Thonets later, the “bistro” chair, called n ° 214 today, is still in the catalog. It has sold over 50 million copies since its creation! Often copied but never equaled, it continues to inspire designers around the world. So the next time you enjoy your little black on a patio, think to yourself that the chair you are sitting on might not be that commonplace … www.thonet.de Thonet models are timeless. .. All models presented are still edited! Click on Next.

La Thonet – Thonet, the pioneer

thonet chairs set © Thonet

Model 14, now 214, is now available in many shapes and colors. Its original version is sought after by collectors. Thonet models reach auction records. And museums present them in their permanent collections such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris or the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA).

La Thonet – Thonet, the pioneer

Marcel Breuer – Thonet, the pioneer

Marcel Breuer © Thonet

In 1929, the Thonet company bought the Standard Möbel company from Marcel Breuer and Kálmán Lengyel and thus acquired the rights to the drawings by Marcel Breuer. Pupil then professor at the Bauhaus, literally “House of the building” (a school of arts and architecture which marked in its time Germany) Marcel Breuer developed there the techniques of tubular steel furniture. Thonet thus engages in production with this technique and quickly becomes the world’s leading producer.

Marcel Breuer – Thonet, the pioneer

Mart Stam’s S43 (1931)

the S43 of M. Stam thonet © Thonet

This chair symbolizes the entry into the era of tubular steel furniture for Thonet. Mart Stam was one of the pioneers of modern furniture design. This oscillating chair, without rear foot, is one of the greatest innovations of the 20th century. This model is now available in many versions.

Mart Stam’s S43 (1931)

The S35 (1929) – Thonet, the pioneer

The S35 (1929) © Thonet

This indoor armchair, signed Marcel Breuer, remains one of the pioneering models of the curved steel technique. Available with a seat, backrest and stool in rattan or covered in cowhide with wood-stained beech armrests.

The S35 (1929) – Thonet, the pioneer

The S 285 (1935) – Thonet, the pioneer

The S 285 (1935) © Thonet

Marcel Breuer also creates this office. Dating from 1935, its forms are nevertheless very contemporary.

The S 285 (1935) – Thonet, the pioneer

B9 (1925-26) – Thonet, the pioneer

B9 (1925-26) © Thonet

Another unmissable creation by Marcel Breuer: these nesting coffee tables in chromed tubular steel, pieces in beech wood stained wood or painted.

B9 (1925-26) – Thonet, the pioneer

Hans Luckhardt’s S 36 (1931)

Hans Luckhardt’s S 36 (1931) © Thonet

The aim of Hans Luckhardt, a renowned German architect with a keen interest in technology as well as a committed designer, was “seating comfort in aesthetic form”. He designed this steel and wood oscillating chair for Thonet in 1931.

Hans Luckhardt’s S 36 (1931)

LS 22 by Anton Lorenz (1931)

Anton Lorenz recognized from the outset the potential of Mart Stam’s swing chairs and, working with him, launched a series of lawsuits against other manufacturers and plagiarists who marked the history of tubular steel furniture. He worked at Thonet as head of the industrial property protection service. But he also took the opportunity to create some furniture. This “relax” has a stainless steel structure with textile mesh straps (suitable for outdoors), padded cushion with textile or leather cover.

LS 22 by Anton Lorenz (1931)

Ulrich Böhme’s S 826 (1971)

This armchair is signed Ulrich Böhme. In chromed tubular steel, upholstered seat shell with textile or leather cover.

Ulrich Böhme’s S 826 (1971)

The 214 revisited (1985) – Thonet, the pioneer

The old number 14 chair still inspires designers. The K.214, known as the “Knot Chair”, comes like a wink to greet its illustrious grandmother!

The 214 revisited (1985) – Thonet, the pioneer

A family affair

While a third century of production opens for the company, Thonet remains family. Michael Thonet had only sons, and even today, three brothers are in charge. From top to bottom, Claus, Philipp and Peter have taken up the torch, in the spirit of their great-great-grandfather, by manufacturing new models designed by renowned architects and designers, such as Sir Norman Foster or James Irvine. .

A family affair