Origin of Innovative furniture
(1800-1900)
History and Illustrations
Introduction
The advent of the machine and the fervent experimentation with new materials during the 19th century led to the development of some highly innovative furniture. In some instances, technical advances were used in the construction of furniture; in other cases, a mechanical contrivance was actually incorporated into the furniture form.
Laminated Furniture
Lamination was one of the most important techniques in 19th-century innovative furniture construction, a technique characteristic of Belter and his imitators, as we have seen. A European designer whose technique was related was Michael Thonet (1796-1871), who began to experiment with lamination and shaping by steam in Germany and Austria between 1836 and 1840. By 1850, Thonet had perfected a method of bending birch wood into highly fanciful shapes. Known as bentwood, Thonet's furniture displays sinuous curves reminiscent of the Rococo Revival style. Because bentwood furniture could be broken down into a number of component parts, it could be shipped unassembled and screwed together later. During the 19th century, large quantities were imported into the United States, and American furniture factories created imitations, which generally lack the quality of the original. Thonet furniture is still made today.
Papier-Mâché Furniture
The invention of efficient pressing and molding machines made it possible to produce innovative furniture from papier-mâché, a durable substance created by binding together ground paper pulp or strips of paper and glue under pressure. Parts were assembled, and the piece was treated with numerous coats of heavy lacquer (often black) before being decorated with gild and inlaid mother-of-pearl. Many large and elaborate papier-mâché pieces were shown at the London Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. Papier-mâché furniture was imported to America in large quantities during the second half of the century. The major producer of papier-mâché furniture in England was the firm of Jennens & Bettridge; this furniture was also made in France. In the United States, it was made in limited quantities at Litchfield, Connecticut.
Metal in Furniture
Metal was another material from which innovative furniture was constructed during the 19th century. Iron and steel had been used in a limited manner during the 18th century for furniture construction and bracing, but by the mid-19th century, the iron industry was greatly expanded and iron objects were being mass-produced in molds. During the 1840s, French factories produced chairs with hollow tubular frames that were often reinforced with a glue or plaster core to lend durability. One of the most popular of all tubular chairs was a rocker made during the late 1840s and 1850s, in which two bent pieces of metal tubing formed the entire substructure of the piece. An American version of this chair, said to have been made by manufacturer Peter Cooper (1791-1883), used flattened metal members rather than tubes
The most highly popular metal furniture, however, was constructed of cast iron. Designed for both interior and exterior use and often highly ornamental, with details drawn from the popular revival styles, a single piece of cast iron furniture was
made by screwing together parts that had been cast in individual molds. The form that survives in large quantities today is the garden bench, sometimes combining a wooden seat and back with an iron frame. Many firms that produced iron furniture also made furniture of wire, using new wire-making machines that mass-produced the material. It is possible to twist this adaptable material into elaborate and fanciful shapes reminiscent of the Rococo Revival style.
Mechanical Devices
Other innovative furniture actually incorporated some clever mechanical device within the form itself. Movable and collapsible furniture has fascinated people since ancient times, and beginning in the 1850s, an enthusiastic interest in furniture that reclined, converted, and folded stimulated patents for varieties of such pieces.
The introduction of the metal coil spring represented one of the greatest mechanical innovations in furniture design. Although no precise date is known for its invention, the coil spring was in use by mid-century, when the upholsterer's trade was flourishing. Tufting, buttons, and fringes became important adjuncts to upholstery, which influenced forms such as the circular ottoman and easy chair. The use of springs generated a type of furniture that concealed the structure of the piece with upholstery. Incorporating what is known as Turkish-frame construction, the entire form was made from wire spring Bundles and then completely upholstered. The overall chair shape was created with an iron frame that was screwed onto a wooden frame at the base, supported by wooden legs.
Natural Materials
In total contrast to this "mechanical" furniture, other innovative furniture was being made by hand from natural materials. These pieces were generally intended for country houses and outdoor settings, where picturesque effects were desired. For example, rustic furniture made from tree branches and roots to form a natural chair or table became popular during the second half of the 19th century.
Cane (wicker or rattan) furniture was also made in great quantities at this time. Originating from the durable stem and tendril of a climbing palm growing in the East Indies, the cane was woven around furniture frames made from white oak or hickory. A closely related type of furniture was made from bamboo fashioned in an Oriental shape, with cane panels used as well.
One exotic type of innovative furniture was made from animal horns. The vogue for antlers and horns had existed for a long time, and furniture was built of these materials in Europe by the late 18th century. In the United States, where exploration of the West made steer and buffalo horns available, they were used to fashion fantastic pieces of furniture.
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