Pair of Vintage Charles Pollack for Knoll Black Leather Executive Chairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Vintage Charles Pollack for Knoll Black Leather Executive Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 32.63 in (82.89 cm)Width: 25.63 in (65.11 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60.03 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Leather on both chairs in excellent condition. Professionally detailed top to bottom. A few minor imperfections on chrome. Scratches on back panel plastic (see pics).
- Seller Location:Chattanooga, TN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2255323035902
Charles Pollock
Charles Pollock was a renowned but reclusive furniture designer. He rarely spoke to the media and instead preferred to let his iconic designs speak for themselves. Pollock’s name is ubiquitous with mid-century modern office furniture — while vintage furniture obsessives know the office chairs he made for Knoll, he designed armchairs and lounge chairs for domestic interiors as well.
Pollock was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1930. When his family moved to Michigan, he attended Detroit's Cass Technical High School, whose alumni includes artist-designer Harry Bertoia. For his extraordinary work at Cass, Pollock earned a full scholarship to Pratt Institute in New York City.
Industrial designer Lucia DeRespinis had been a classmate of Pollock’s at Pratt and got a job in architect George Nelson’s studio after graduation. Nelson, the design director at legendary mid-century furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, was always looking for new design talent. DeRespinis was struck by Pollock’s sculptures at Pratt and recommended Nelson hire him. Pollock, who had been working for Donald Deskey’s firm, took a job with Nelson and helped create the Swag Leg armchair (a full Swag Leg collection debuted at Herman Miller in the late 1950s). Soon afteward, Pollock opened his own studio and shared his portfolio with pioneering designer Florence Knoll at the modernist behemoth she cofounded with her husband Hans.
Pollock’s 657 Sling chair for Knoll debuted in 1960 and earned him a substantial contract with the brand. This paved the way for his most famous design: the Executive chair. Introduced in 1963, the Executive chair became one of the best-selling and most recognizable office chairs in history. Pollock devoted five years to perfecting the seat, and his patented rim technology allowed for simple assembly, which contributed to its success and popularity.
Pollock later returned to sculpting and explored other pursuits but never stopped designing furniture. In 1982, he created the Penelope chair for the Italian furniture maker Castelli. At 82 years of age, Pollock was commissioned by American manufacturer Bernhardt Design to create the CP Lounge chair, which was launched at the London Design Festival 2012. Pollock died a short while later, in 2013, but his seating is still produced by Bernhardt Design today.
Pollock received much acclaim throughout his career. He earned several awards, including the prestigious Red Dot Design Award and Pratt Institute's Rowena Reed Kostellow Award for outstanding work in industrial design. His Executive chair has been exhibited at museums around the world, including the Louvre Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Charles Pollock seating and other furniture today.
George Nelson
Architect, designer, and writer George Nelson was a central figure in the mid-century American modernist design movement; and his thoughts influenced not only the furniture we live with, but also how we live.
Nelson came to design via journalism and literature. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale in 1931, he won the Prix de Rome fellowship, and spent his time in Europe writing magazine articles that helped bring stateside recognition to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gio Ponti, Le Corbusier and other canonical modernist architects. In the 1940s, Nelson wrote texts that suggested such now-commonplace ideas as open-plan houses, storage walls and family rooms. D.J. De Pree, the owner of the furniture maker Herman Miller, was so impressed by Nelson that in 1944 — following the sudden death of Gilbert Rohde, who had introduced the firm to modern design in the 1930s — he invited Nelson to join the company as its design director.
There Nelson’s curatorial design talents came to the fore. To Herman Miller he brought such eminent creators as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and the textile and furniture designer Alexander Girard. Thanks to a clever contract, at the same time as he directed Herman Miller he formed a New York design company, George Nelson & Associates, that sold furniture designs to the Michigan firm, as well as its competitor, the Howard Miller Clock Company. Nelson’s New York team of designers (who were rarely individually credited) would create such iconic pieces as the Marshmallow sofa, the Coconut chair, the Ball clock, the Bubble lamp series and the many cabinets and beds that comprise the sleek Thin-Edge line.
For dedicated collectors, as well as for interior designers who look beyond “the look,” there is a “cool-factor” inherent to vintage pieces from George Nelson and others. Nelson was in on it from the start, and it’s valuable to have a piece that was there with him. But still, as is evident from the offerings from dealers on these pages, in any of the designs, in any iteration whose manufacture Nelson oversaw and encouraged, there are shining elements of lightness, elegance, sophistication — and a little bit of swagger. George Nelson felt confident in his ideas about design and didn’t mind letting the world know.
- Blue Velvet Executive Chair Charles Pollock for Knoll with Height Tension KnobBy Knoll, Charles Pollock, George NelsonLocated in Chattanooga, TNI don't think there could be a cooler color / fabric combination Pollock chair in existence. The blue velour looks both original and in exceptional condition. The chrome edge band se...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Restored Set of (8) Saarinen for Knoll Executive Armchairs with Wood LegsBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Chattanooga, TNSet of eight vintage Saarinen for Knoll executive chairs. These chairs come in variety of iterations, but I think we have a winning combo here. Our group of Saarinen chairs features ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Maple
- Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, Full Cover Plum Knoll TweedBy Knoll, Harry BertoiaLocated in Chattanooga, TNFully restored vintage Bertoia diamond chair by Knoll. (2) Available, sold separately. Our team used the original pattern to recreate a new cover in be...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Restored Pair of Bent Ply Faux White Tufted Leather George Mulhauser Mr. ChairsBy George Mulhauser, PlycraftLocated in Chattanooga, TNThere's something indescribably awesome about these Mulhauser chairs in tufted white upholstery. Cool, casual and comfortable in their skin. Anywhere they go, is exactly where they're supposed to be. If these chairs became sentient, they would ask for a highball and a cigarette. Sorry if I'm over-anthropomorphising these inanimate objects. Let me digress. So, what you're looking at are two, early, very similar Mulhauser "Mr Chairs". They were procured from the same estate, but are most certainly from different production runs a year or two apart. Both chairs and ottomans swivel on 5-star metal...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$6,746 Sale Price / set25% Off - Marcel Breuer For Thonet B35 Cantilever Leather Sling Lounge Chairs Set of 2By Thonet, Marcel BreuerLocated in Chattanooga, TNHandsome set of mid-century modern cantilever black leather lounge chairs designed by Marcel Breuer for Thonet. These model B35 armchairs demonstrate a European Modern Bauhaus disci...Category
Mid-20th Century German Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome, Metal
- Yellow Leather Lawrence Peabody for Selig Danish Modern Danish Lounge ChairsBy Selig, Folke Ohlsson, Ib Kofod-Larsen, Lawrence PeabodyLocated in Chattanooga, TNPair of Mid-Century Modern Number 596 lounge chairs designed by Lawrence Peabody for Selig. Professionally reupholstered in full grain flaxen-yellow leather. These timeless lounge ch...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- 1960s Pollack Executive Chair by Charles Pollack for KnollBy Knoll, Charles PollockLocated in Sagaponack, NYA vintage Pollack executive chair on five leg pedestal base featuring his ‘rim technology’ of metal edge banding around the chair’s periphery s...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair of 657 Armchair by Charles Pollock for KnollBy Charles Pollock, KnollLocated in Stockton, NJA pair of early 657 armchairs by Charles Pollock for Knoll. This 1970's pair features chromed steel and wood frames with black leather seat and cushion. O...Category
Vintage 1970s American Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Lounge Chairs "657" Charles Pollock KnollBy Knoll, Charles PollockLocated in Port Jervis, NYFabulous pair of 657 chairs by Charles Pollock for Knoll. C1960 design signed in two places by Knoll. In excellent vintage condition with minimal wear. Some ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Pair of Lounge Chairs by Charles Pollock for KnollBy Charles Pollock, KnollLocated in Oklahoma City, OKCharles Pollock lounge chairs are iconic pieces of mid-century modern furniture design. Designed by American industrial designer Charles Pollock, these lounge chairs showcase a combi...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Eero Saarinen for Knoll Executive Arm Chairs Early Original Orange VinylBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Philadelphia, PAPair of early vintage Mid-Century Modern Eero Saarinen for knoll "executive" armchairs in their original orange vinyl. Item features very comfortable form, classic Mid-Century design...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of 12 Executive "Pollock" Chairs by Charles Pollock for Knoll, USA, 1963By Charles Pollock, KnollLocated in Hellouw, NLThese 12 executive chairs are a true classic hailing from the illustrious stable of manufacturer Knoll, designed in 1963 by the American designer Charles Pollock. An absolute master ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.