Thonet and Design

A concise history of the Thonet chair from 1838 to the present.

From the most humble suburban cafes to high fashion shoots and countless films, the ingenious design of the Thonet chair No. 14, created by Michael Thonet in 1859, has conquered the world. Its immanent beauty, bentwood technology and ease of assembly led to its adaptation across European cafés upon its introduction. However, No. 14 is only one piece of the history of Michael Thonet’s company.

This essential volume presents chair designs of Thonet GmbH from 1838 to the present day. Full-page images depict the famous No. 14 as well as chairs by Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Verner Panton and Marcel Breuer (such as his Wassily chair). In addition, a text documents the history of Thonet and its technological breakthroughs alongside a short history of chair design in general.