Tubular Aluminum Armchair (No. 1052)
Design Date c. 1930
Designer Warren McArthur (1885–1961, American)
Manufacturer Warren McArthur Corporation (1929–1948), Los Angeles, CA (1929–1932), Rome, NY (1932–1936), Bantam, CT (1936–1940), New York, NY (1940–1948)
Media aluminum with rubber feet and vinyl upholstery
Dimensions 29 3/4 x 24 1/4 x 24 1/4 inches
Warren McArthur studied Mechanical Engineering at Cornell and made his first piece of furniture in 1923. In 1927–1928 Warren McArthur was tasked with designing most of the furnishings of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, where his brother Albert was the architect. In 1929 Warren moved to Los Angeles and founded the Warren McArthur Furniture Corporation in 1930. In 1933 he moved the company to Rome, New York. His tubular metal furniture became popular at this time for their ingenuity and sleek appearance. McArthur constructed the tubular metal furniture by using an internal tension rod within the aluminum frame. The joints are composed of internal washers that attach portions of aluminum tube over the internal rods. The exterior frame is then held together by smooth or notched aluminum braces. This allowed for a modern aesthetic with no welded joints to distract from the design.
ON VIEW in Promenade Gallery 2
Markings unmarked
Credit Line Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Accession Number 2004.0529
