Pair of Don Shoemaker Swinger Chair with Ottoman
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Pair of Don Shoemaker Swinger Chair with Ottoman
About the Item
- Creator:Don S. Shoemaker (Designer)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Mexico, MX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU98601247398
Don S. Shoemaker
If it weren’t for his honeymoon, American furniture designer Don S. Shoemaker might not have played any role in Mexican modernism of the mid-20th century.
Born in Nebraska in 1919, Shoemaker studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1930s. In the 1940s he got married, and he and his wife, Barbara, ventured to Mexico for their honeymoon. Enamored with the country, Shoemaker decided that Mexico should become the newlyweds' permanent home. They settled in a town called Santa Maria de Guido in Michoacán, where Shoemaker spent his days painting and growing rare plants.
Through horticulture, Shoemaker became inspired by Mexico’s tropical woods, such as the cocobolo, a Mexican rosewood, and he decided to delve into furniture design. In the late 1950s, he started a small factory, producing hand-carved armchairs, dining room tables, decorative boxes and bowls, and serveware. The popularity of Shoemaker’s furnishings grew throughout Mexico, and his small factory became the Señal S.A. company, employing more than 100 skilled artisans and carpenters.
Shoemaker’s handcrafted designs were essentially a mid-century modern interpretation of traditional Mexican household furnishings, and like Clara Porset — an unsung Cuban-born activist, writer and designer who drew on Mexican craft traditions in her concepts for furniture — he found inspiration from his adopted country. These influences can be seen in iconic Shoemaker originals like the Sling collection of seating, the Suspension stool and several of his table designs.
Shoemaker's furniture was exhibited in showrooms in several major Mexican cities and across the U.S., including Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles (and mid-century modernist ideas that traveled between Mexico and California didn’t make one-way trips — they bounced back and forth).
After Shoemaker died in 1990, his son George took over Señal S.A. The company closed after George’s death in the early 2000s.
Shoemaker’s Mexican modern furnishings continue to be coveted by avid furniture collectors around the world. From 2016 to 2017, the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City dedicated a retrospective exhibition to honoring his work.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Don S. Shoemaker desks, seating, decorative objects and serveware.
- Don Shoemaker for Senal Sling Swinger Chair With OttomanBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Hanover, MADon Shoemaker for Senal, Mexico, Cocobolo Rosewood Sling Swinger Chair & Ottoman. An original biomorphic Sling Swinger Chair and Ottoman in tropical Cocobolo rosewood and black lea...Category
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- Don Shoemaker Sling "Swinger" Chair and Ottoman, Mexico 1960sBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Camden, MEA Classic 20th century chair and ottoman from one of the great craftsman's workshops of Mexico: Senal, S.A., Don Shoemaker's tropical paradise in Michoacan, Mexico. This iconic chai...Category
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- Don Shoemaker Cocobolo Rosewood Swinger ChairBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Oakland, CASwinger rosewood chair designed by Don Shoemaker. Solid cocobolo rosewood frame with doweled joints, handcrafted in Mexico, late 1950s. Newly restored and upholstered in black leather.Category
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- Don Shoemaker Sling "Swinger" Chair and Ottoman for Señal, S.A, 1960By Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Los Angeles, CAOne set of Swinger chair and ottoman from Don Shoemaker for the iconic Señal, S.A workshop of Mexico. This chair has been refinished and are in excellent condition. The chairs retain...Category
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood, Cocobolo
- Vintage Don Shoemaker Rosewood Swinger Chair Signed Senal, MexicoBy Don S. ShoemakerLocated in Chicago, ILA great vintage example. Not a reproduction. Beautiful grain. Signed on cross stretcher. Are pictures available upon request.Category
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- Don S. Shoemaker 1970's Mexican "Swinger" Cueramo Wood and Leather ChairBy Don S. Shoemaker, SenalLocated in Mexico City, MXA Mexican 1970's cueramo wood and black leather "Swinger" lounge chair by Don S. Shoemaker. Manufactured by Señal, S.A. workshop in Santa María de Guido, Michoacán. The piece keeps i...Category
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