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Warren McArthur Art Deco Aluminum Armchair, 1930s

About the Item

A rare mid-1930s Art Deco aluminum armchair by important American designer Warren McArthur. Displays McArthur’s signature Streamline Moderne-meets-Machine Age aesthetic, with a painstakingly crafted multi-piece anodized aluminum tubular frame over an intricate skeleton of steel support rods. Newer cranberry red faux leather upholstery with silver tack accents. On black rubber puck feet. The son of a successful Chicago businessman for whom Frank Lloyd Wright created one of his first “moonlight houses”, Warren McArthur’s (b. 1885–1961) quintessentially American career included designing furniture for his architect brother Albert’s opulent Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, designing and patenting the first RV (dubbed the Wonderbus), and designing and producing lightweight seats for bombers during World War II.
  • Creator:
    Warren McArthur (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 22.5 in (57.15 cm)Depth: 22.75 in (57.79 cm)Seat Height: 17.25 in (43.82 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Mid-1930s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Frame in very good vintage condition: light, mostly superficial tiny marks/nicks/scuffs throughout, and missing a spacer ring on upright (image 14). Seat back not secured to bottom brackets and is very slightly misaligned, both easily correctible.
  • Seller Location:
    San Francisco, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU955015421882
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