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THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF FOLDING CHAIRS
© designboom
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history
role of the folding chair |
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 - egyptian -
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folding chairs through the ages
many centuries the folding chair was considered
one of the most important pieces of furniture in the
house and a prized status symbol.
in ancient civilizations folding stools were used not
merely for sitting but also for ceremonial use.
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among the most significant examples of egyptian
furniture is the folding stool, which was developed
2000-1500 b.c. as a portable chair for the commanding
officer in the army.
the folding chair was the symbol of the worthy divinity
(see tutankhamun's throne, the foldable seat with a
back support). its history as symbol of authority is
also traceable in the following cultures:
the egyptian folding stool and later, the greek and
the etruscan form, became the prototype of the
roman chair, the 'sella curulis', which was adapted
to the plebeian tribunal in the roman republican period.
the folding stool as a ceremonial chair developed in
two ways: one secular, and the other ecclesiastical.
the makeup of the roman 'sella curulis' assumes,
through the longobard 'sella plicatilis' in steel,
the form of the carolingian 'faldistorium'.
here we notice another typological alteration.
the crossed legs are frontal instead of being placed
laterally. this was to emphasize the crossing
'X' - structure which became a symbol of authority.
the most emblematic example is the throne of dagobert I,
king of the franconians.
the typology of the folding chair appeared just before
the renaissance. in the 16th century we find the
'sedia della forbice' (the scissors chair) that descended
from the 'faldistorium'. there are two principal variations:
the 'savonarola' and the 'dantesca',
followed by the 'chair of petrarca' and the 'sedia a tenaglia'
(the pincer chair). they represent the return of the crossed
legs placed laterally.
during the baroque period chairs with crossed legs
were not always foldable, especially during the period of
louis XIV-XVI, the 'X' structure had exclusively symbol
ic value. the field chair of napoleon I, the 'fauteuil'
derived etymologically from the older french 'faldestoel',
which derived from the latin 'faldistorium'.
the denomination maintains the concept of dignity which
was associated with the folding chair in the past.
the fauteuil is a forerunner of the director's chair in the
20th century.
as the folding chair itself became more common historically,
so naturally did the folding variety and the technical
achievements. while this reduced the status value of the
object, it lead to the development of new uses and new
design solutions.
by the 19th century, folding chairs were a widespread
utilitarian feature of public spaces where there was a
regular need to rearrange or remove seating.
military -
the folding chair has a long history in military use.
military objects respond above all to precise, immediate
functionalities. from it emerges an aesthetic, anchored
in thecollective memory.
but it was never desgned to be beautiful.
the field chair of napoleon I (fauteuil) derived etymologically
from the older french 'faldestoel' which derived from the latin
'faldistorium'. the denomination maintains the concept of
dignity which was associated with the folding chair in the past.
the ' napoleonic fauteuil' is a forerunner of the director's chair
in the 20th century.
patent -
novel ideas for folding chairs and stools are registered in
thousands of patents all over the world.
patent designers, inventors and general gadget makers
turned their energies to chair design and the notion of
foldability, adjustability and flexibility of design was paramount,
but the prolificacy of new projects does not always coincide
with a refinement.
recreation -
mobility / travel has increased to the point where there is a special
industry producing the smallest and lightest pieces of folding
furniture which can cope with every climate.
folding chairs are designed for camping, sitting on the beach,
attending a sporting event...
chairs for every habit, need and necessity.
utility -
folding chairs are designed for high school assemblies,
tip-up seats for theatres and cinemas ...
the main goal is to create a basic seating surface that is
comfortable for a short time and can be folded up
(and stored) easily.
'good design' -
the folding chair became an integral part of domestic furnishings.
the most completed modern folding chairs were created in
a period with social debates and technological progressions:
the first years of the industrialization (thonet), in the ambient
of the german rationalism (bauhaus), in the years of
scandinavian welfare and in the years of social objection (1965-75).
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 - greek -
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 - etruscan -
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 - roman -
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 - medieval -
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 - renaissance -
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 - asia -
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 - 17th / 18th century europe -
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MODERN HISTORY
classification of folding chairs according to the location of
the folding mechanism / pivot.
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FOLDING STOOLS
 - X-shape -
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 - sticks -
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 - sit and stay -
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FOLDING CHAIRS (pivot under seat-level)
 - side- x chair (page 1) -
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 - side- x chair (page 2) -
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 - side- X chair with armrests -
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 - front- X / deckchair -
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 - front-X / director's chair -
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 - front-X / tripolina chair -
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FOLDING CHAIRS (pivot over seat-level)
 - beach chair -
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 - triangle shape -
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 - triangle shape with armrests -
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FOLDING CHAIRS (pivot on seat-level)
 - x-shape -
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 - theatre / tip-up seats -
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 - 'normal legs' -
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 - floor seat -
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FOLDING CHAIRS (other)
 - demountable -
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THE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF FOLDING CHAIRS
has been compiled by birgit lohmann
(a thesis publication, july 1988, revised in june 2003)
© designboom
this history timeline is provided for educational purposes only,
no reproduction, re-use or transcription for any commercial purpose
or use of the content or images is permitted.
a print-publication will soon be available,
for inquieries : mail@designboom.com
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acknowledgement
many thanks to the participants of designboom's second
design-aerobics course - a special thanks goes to the following
people for their contributions:
art perper, takashi ifuji, radu comsa, joshua larrabee, jim nagel,
erin caruth, larry cheng, carolina jimenez, michelle brick,
kevin mc donald, stanley ruiz, joellen schilke, marcos breder,
phil clowes, beatriz crespo, peter pontano,
susana salomon, oscar riano and haral jarabek.
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