In this profusely illustrated study, a noted furniture designer brings together more than 40 examples of chairs that combine practicality and elegance to transcend the confines of period and fashion. Featured are such modern "classics" as Thonet's Bentwood armchair, Breuer's Wassily chair, van der Rohe's Barcelone chair, and many more. Each chair is described in detail with the aid of photographs, Mr. Meadmore's own explanatory drawings and some reproductions of the original designer's plans. The author also explores the ways in which the designers approached and solved inherent problems of function and aesthetics. The scale drawings in this book are all one-eighth of full size, allowing easy assessment of dimensions and visual comparison of size and proportion. Many of these chairs are housed in museum collections; others are still being produced today. Now, this inexpensive edition of The Modern Chair enables students of furniture and any interested reader to make a thorough study of the most important chairs of modern times.

"Chairs introduces the most innovative and groundbreaking seating designs from the world's greatest designers, from Alvar Aalto to Marco Zanuso ..."--Publisher description.

This updated edition features designs from 1800 up to present day, and features the biggest names in furniture design, art, architecture and craft.

"This book is the first in-depth study of one of the most revered pieces of American furniture, and its equally revered creators. The Eames Lounge Chair explores the design in detail, shedding new light on its development and construction, and on the role played by Ray Eames in its genesis. In situating the Lounge Chair in its cultural, social, and historical contexts, the book reveals its provocative positioning in relation to Modernism and the trajectory of twentieth century design, through its combination of traditional and modern materials, mechanical production, and hand-finishing. The personal and professional recollections of those who knew Charles and Ray Eames confirm the Lounge Chair's enduring appeal and powerful presence, from its arrival - to critical acclaim - in the mid-1950s, when it promised a more comfortable life to postwar Americans, to its latterday appearance in fiction and film as an icon of "Mid-Century Modern" design - and a key indicator of design awareness." "With more than two hundred illustrations, including a superb photographic essay and previously unpublished drawings, film stills, and personal correspondence, this book is the definitive survey of the Lounge Chair and a tribute to its remarkable creators, who, above all, "took their pleasures seriously." The Eames Lounge Chair is essential reading for anyone interested in Modernist design."--BOOK JACKET.

The most compelling collection ever of the world's most innovative, stylish, and influential chairs Throughout history, the chair has presented designers the world over with infinite opportunities to experiment with new methods and materials within the set parameters of an object that is primarily there to serve a practical purpose. Chair: 500 Designs that Matter celebrates the humble chair as never before, from early examples to today's cutting-edge creations. It invites you to sit back and be taken on a journey through the creative imaginations of hundreds of internationally renowned designers.

When her father dies, ten year old Frances, her mother and assorted siblings are taken under the wing of their horsey relations, led by bullying Aunt Lawrence.