Arthur Umanoff Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
American, 1923-1985
Though much of Arthur Umanoff’s furniture is marked by a no-frills simplicity common in American mid-century modern design, his work is anything but one-note. Over the course of a prolific career, Umanoff designed everything from case pieces to candleholders to dining chairs in iron, leather, walnut, wicker and more. With furnishings for a broad range of manufacturers throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, Umanoff continued a thread of sculptural elegance and textural sensitivity through his designs.
After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early 1950s, Umanoff experimented mostly with wood furniture before landing a job at Post Modern Ltd, a New York manufacturer of wrought-iron furniture. There he produced furnishings that married wrought iron with wood and plastic, creating functional pieces free of utilitarian bulkiness. Umanoff continued his experimentation with mixed materials through a partnership with Shaver Howard, for whom he designed wine racks in combinations of iron, leather and wicker.
When Shaver Howard bought Boyeur Scott, Umanoff conceived several furniture designs for the brand, including the 1964 Granada collection, whose curlicue iron bases, visible through glass tops, stand out as some of his most ornate and decorative work. Indeed, much of Umanoff’s oeuvre is far more simplistic, like iron-and-pine armchairs for The Elton Co. or low-backed, slatted-seat barstools with slender iron legs for Raymor.
Umanoff was fluent, too, in the more sumptuous modernism of the era: In the mid-1960s, he designed the 2405 and 4449 armchairs for Madison Furniture Industries. Popular in offices, the walnut-framed, leather-upholstered seats, which could have been mistaken for the seductive Scandinavian modern seating of the era, were reportedly the jumping-off point for Captain Kirk’s iconic seat on Star Trek.
Even as he is among the mid-century modern designers you may not know, with work across such a range of styles and manufacturers (most no longer in business), Umanoff, who died in 1985, leaves a legacy that is fascinatingly diverse and at times enticingly elusive, making his work intriguing objects for collectors.
Find vintage Arthur Umanoff furniture today on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Arthur Umanoff
Uncommon Height Desk Chair from Arthur Umanoff
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in South Charleston, WV
A very rare model from Arthur Umanoff. Special height chair believed to be used with his rush and birch desks he produced in the era. Note the stool seat height is 19-20" (chair seat is curved). All original with the original swivel metal foot glides and the swivel seat mechanism. Height 31.25". 18" wide and deep. Low foot rest...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Steel
Arthur Umanoff Matching Sculptural Desk and Chair
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Arthur Umanoff desk and chair. Extremely elegant and timeless design made with an iron frame, walnut slats and rush accents giving it it's classic Umanoff look. One middle drawer, a ...
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1950s American Vintage Arthur Umanoff Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Materials
Iron
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Arthur Umanoff office chairs and desk chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Arthur Umanoff office chairs and desk chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Arthur Umanoff office chairs and desk chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original office chairs and desk chairs by Arthur Umanoff were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider office chairs and desk chairs by Ward Bennett, Dunbar, and Brickel Associates. Prices for Arthur Umanoff office chairs and desk chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $995 and can go as high as $5,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,248.