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Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

American

Few 20th-century designers had influential furniture that regularly flew at 30,000 feet, but Warren McArthur did. His work — and the work of his company, the Warren McArthur Corporation — on seating for military aircraft came near the end of his career, following decades of Machine Age furniture shaped from tubular forms and made of steel, chrome and aluminum.

Warren McArthur Jr. graduated with an engineering degree from Cornell University in 1908. After moving to Los Angeles in 1929, he founded the Warren McArthur Corporation a year later. His initial output of sleek, metal designs were popular in offices and hotels. 

At the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, Americans witnessed a new “Streamlined America” campaign, which included everyday furniture made from metal, opening the door for McArthur and other Machine Age designers to a residential audience. With this increase in demand for metal furniture, the Warren McArthur Corporation relocated to Rome, New York, and sold their aluminum furnishings out of a showroom on Park Avenue in New York City. 

Actors Marlene Dietrich, Fredric March and Clark Gable were among his A-list clientele. McArthur also produced furniture for the dining cars on the Union Pacific Railroad and the Chrysler Headquarters. His designs were featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 1934 exhibition “Contemporary American Industrial Art.”

During World War II, McArthur pivoted production after a ban on the private use of aluminum. McArthur made an estimated three-quarters of all American military aircraft seating, including adjustable seats for the Beechcraft C-45 and revolving seats for navigators aboard the Grumman HU-16 Albatross. 

Warren McArthur closed his business in 1948. He died in 1961.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Warren McArthur armchairs, tables and other seating.

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Creator: Warren McArthur Corporation
Warren McArthur Four Lounge Chairs, Circa 1939
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Warren McArthur suite of four lounge chairs circa late 1930s. These seldom seen examples retain their original finish to their tubular aluminum fram...
Category

1930s American Machine Age Vintage Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Z Chair Model 708, circa 1938
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Warren McArthur anodixzed aluminum light armchair Model 708 manufactured by the Warren McArthur Corporation circa 1938.
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Armchair Style No. 1038 AU, circa 1933-1935
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
A Warren McArthur armchair from the early to mid-1930s has an anodized aluminum frame. Titled "The Office Manager" in his 1936 furniture catalog and listed as Style No. 1038 AU (arm ...
Category

1930s American Bauhaus Vintage Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Aluminium Armchair Style No 1170 AU, circa 1939
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
A Warren McArthur aluminium armchair style no 1170 AU in excellent vintage condition. This chair is a classic example of Warren's mastery of tube bending. The elongated S of the b...
Category

1930s American Machine Age Vintage Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

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Art Deco aluminum and black leather lounge chair with hockey puck feet by Warren McArthur, circa 1930s. The chair frame and feet are in great original condition while the upholstery has been recently replaced with gorgeous black leather. What a looker! The chair measures 25.75"W x 32"D x 31.5"H with a seat height of 16". This is a very rare and hard to find chair and would be the focal point of any art deco or machine age room! Check out our period side tables that would look fabulous with this chair! #3094 Warren McArthur (1885–1961) was an American industrial and furniture designer who specialized in aluminum tubular furniture during the 1930s. Warren McArthur, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Warren McArthur, Sr., a successful businessman, and Minnie Jewel McArthur. Frank Lloyd Wright was a friend of the McArthur family. In 1892, Wright designed the house for the McArthur family, located in Chicago. McArthur attended Cornell University where he studied engineering. In the late 1920s, McArthur began his career as an industrial designer by creating furniture for the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, which was designed by his brother Albert Chase McArthur. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Arizona Biltmore failed, and McArthur moved to Los Angeles, California to create a furniture fabrication company. In the early 1930s, aluminum became a popular industrial design material, and McArthur developed a specialization in designing and making aluminum tubular furniture, including chairs, tables, sofas, lamps, and ashtrays. McArthur soon began to receive commissions from prominent architects. Paul R. Williams commissioned McArthur to design 30 pieces of aluminum furniture for the Cord family who owned the Cord automobile company. He was also commissioned to make aluminum furniture for Rudolph Schindler's design for Sardi's restaurant location in Los Angeles. So too, McArthur's aluminum furniture was popular with Hollywood stars and producers of the 1930s. His clients included Jack L. Warner, Marlene Dietrich, Fredric March...
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Previously Available Items
Warren McArthur Armchair Bronze Anodize Style No. 1049-A Rome , NY c. 1933/34
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Warren McArthur bronze anodized armchair labeled: Patent Applied For,Rome ,New York. c. 1932/33 Upholstered in Mohair 20+ years ago .Matching settee and additional armchair available.
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Mid-20th Century American Machine Age Warren McArthur Corporation Armchairs

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Warren Mcarthur Corporation armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Warren McArthur Corporation armchairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Warren McArthur Corporation armchairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original armchairs by Warren McArthur Corporation were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the mid-20th century. Prices for Warren McArthur Corporation armchairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,000 and can go as high as $14,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,500.

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