Warren McArthur Chairs
American, 1885-1961
Few 20th-century designers had influential furniture that regularly flew at 30,000 feet, but Warren McArthur did. His work on seating for military aircraft came near the end of his career, following decades of Machine Age furniture shaped from tubular forms and made of steel, chrome and aluminum.
Warren McArthur Jr. graduated with an engineering degree from Cornell University in 1908. After moving to Los Angeles in 1929, he founded the Warren McArthur Corporation a year later. His initial output of sleek, metal designs were popular in offices and hotels.
At the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, Americans witnessed a new “Streamlined America” campaign, which included everyday furniture made from metal, opening the door for McArthur and other Machine Age designers to a residential audience. With this increase in demand for metal furniture, the Warren McArthur Corporation relocated to Rome, New York, and sold their aluminum furnishings out of a showroom on Park Avenue in New York City.
Actors Marlene Dietrich, Fredric March and Clark Gable were among his A-list clientele. McArthur also produced furniture for the dining cars on the Union Pacific Railroad and the Chrysler Headquarters. His designs were featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 1934 exhibition “Contemporary American Industrial Art.”
During World War II, McArthur pivoted production after a ban on the private use of aluminum. McArthur made an estimated three-quarters of all American military aircraft seating, including adjustable seats for the Beechcraft C-45 and revolving seats for navigators aboard the Grumman HU-16 Albatross.
Warren McArthur closed his business in 1948. He died in 1961.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Warren McArthur armchairs, tables and other seating.
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Creator: Warren McArthur
Pair of Warren McArthur Pull-Up Chairs, 1930's
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Warren McArthur pull-up chairs, 1930's Aluminum tubular frame with back-slats.
Manufactured in Rome, New York Decal underside.
We reupholstered with new Iron Cloth, a polye...
Category
1930s American Industrial Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Warren McArthur, Arm Chairs, Steel, Vinyl, United States, 1930s
By Warren McArthur
Located in High Point, NC
A set of steel and vinyl chairs, created by Warren McArthur, United States, 1930s.
Category
1930s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Steel
Warren McArthur Streamline Modern Aluminum Chair, Art Deco, 1930s, USA
By Warren McArthur, Warren McArthur Corporation
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Warren McArthur chair, Warren McArthur Corporation, aluminum, leather, copper, rubber, USA, 1930s. Measures: 33½ H × 17 W × 21 D in
Provenance: Collection of Stuart Parr Private Collection
Warren McArthur Jr. was an innovator in Machine Age/ Art Deco furniture design.
McArthur moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1929 to pursue metal furniture manufacturing; . he founded the Warren McArthur Corporation there in 1930. His furniture designs while unique were true to the Machine Age aesthetic. Machine Age design emphasized sleek forms inspired by automobiles, locomotives and airplanes. These objects were symbols of progress and modernity to the American consumer and industrial designers began constructing furniture in streamlined designs from steel, chrome and aluminum.
Prior to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, known as the “Century of Progress Exhibition.” The fair’s tagline, “See America Streamlined,” and the abundance of metal furniture and home goods exhibited finally presented the concept of utilizing metal designs in the typical American household. The Museum of Modern Art followed suit in subsequent years with exhibitions like "Machine Art," (1934), and "Bauhaus 1919-1928" (1938), further exposing the American public to this design style.
The Warren McArthur Corporation moved manufacturing to Rome, New York in 1933, just as metal furniture was gaining popularity; the company’s products were sold out of a showroom in New York City on Park Avenue. As a manufacturer, McArthur filed numerous patent designs which he utilized in advertisements to exhibit the innovations he developed. The company also proudly printed patent numbers on furniture...
Category
1930s American Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Selection of Warren McArthur Chairs
By Warren McArthur
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Art Deco aluminum chairs, designed by Warren McArthur, American, circa 1930s. These can be used as dining, desk, or occasional cha...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Four Warren McArthur Chairs
By Warren McArthur
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Four Warren McArthur dining chairs. The aluminium shows wear and one of the chairs is missing its cross bar (picture attached). They have been newly reupholstered. They measure 17.5"...
Category
1940s American Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Warren McArthur Folding Chair
By Warren McArthur
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Original period turquoise upholstery
Labels below.
Only 1 available
Category
1950s American Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Pair of Warren McArthur Lounge Chairs
By Warren McArthur
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Warren McArthur lounge chairs, model 1031-A, Machine-made anodized aluminum with rubber feet. Upholstered with great plains cotton-poly fabric.
Frames have natural oxidation...
Category
1930s American Machine Age Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Warren McArthur Art Deco Aluminum Armchair, 1930s
By Warren McArthur
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rare mid-1930s Art Deco aluminum armchair by important American designer Warren McArthur.
Displays McArthur’s signature Streamline Moderne-meets-...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Steel, Aluminum
Warren McArthur Aluminum and Cushioned Black Leather Side Chair, 1930s
By Warren McArthur
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Warren McArthur Machine Age anodized aluminum and black leather desk chair. Featuring braced aluminum framework with Art Deco detailing. Newly upholstered in black leather, with cus...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Warren McArthur Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
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WOW!!!! What a gorgeous tomato red streamline modern cantilever chair!!!! Attributed to KEM Weber for Lloyd’s Manufacturing and categorized in many design styles; Art Deco, Machine Age, Streamline Modern, Art Moderne, and Bauhaus. Too many awesome styles to choose just one… So, you pick!! This chair is comprised of a tubular chrome cantilever frame and is upholstered in a bright and beautiful red vinyl faux leather that demands attention. This piece has no tag or markings but is done in the style of the era’s greats: Gilbert Rohde, Wolfgang Hoffman, Warren McArthur, Donald Desky, Alfons Bach, Gilbert Rhode, Marcel Breuer, and from online searches attributed to KEM Weber for Lloyd’s Manufacturing. It doesn’t get much better than that!! You could use this fabulous chair in your living room, bedroom, sitting room, or kitchen. It would be a wonderful chair at a vanity or a stylish place to sit to take off your shoes in the entry way. The possibilities are truly endless.
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Previously Available Items
Warren McArthur Art Deco Aluminum Dining Chairs circa 1930s
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By Warren McArthur
Located in Atlanta, GA
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Warren Mcarthur chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Warren McArthur chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Warren McArthur chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Warren McArthur were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Norman Cherner, Harvey Probber, and Richard Schultz. Prices for Warren McArthur chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $725 and can go as high as $12,075, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,550.
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