grant and mary featherston, ‘expo mark II sound chair’, 1967,  photo © penelope clay, powerhouse museum
designboom recently visited modern times: the untold story of modernism in australia exhibition held at the powerhouse museum, sydney. featured in the exhibition was ‘the talking chair’ designed by grant and mary featherston during the mid 60’s. the chair was an icon of its time and consisted of built in speakers within its head rest. the shell was cast from an aluminium mould and made from polystyrene, fibreglass, foam, hardwood and covered in wool and vinyl. it was first manufactured and released by aristoc industries in 1967 throughout australia, north america and asia.

more: modern times exhibition 'the talking chair' by grant and mary featherston - 2 designboom view of exhibition

'the talking chair' by grant and mary featherston - 3 interior of the australian pavilion at expo 67 in montreal, 1967, designed by robin boyd and featuring grant and mary featherston’s wing sound chairs.  photo © courtesy national archives of australia. from the exhibition modern times: the untold story of modernism in australia at the powerhouse museum

'the talking chair' by grant and mary featherston - 4 miniature paper and cardboard models, 1966, from catalogue of modern times: the untold story of modernism in australia, powerhouse museum, featherston archive

'the talking chair' by grant and mary featherston - 5 left: full size cardboard pattern, right: the prototype of the shell made using the plastmobler production process from catalogue of modern times: the untold story of modernism in australia, powerhouse museum, featherston archive