M. Singer & Sons Chairs
New York furniture manufacturer M. Singer & Sons is well known to collectors of dazzling mid-century modern design — the company played an integral role in introducing Italian furniture masters to the American marketplace and introduced striking dining room tables, lounge chairs and dressers that were created in rich woods and met the day’s growing demand for sleek and simple furnishings.
While M. Singer & Sons had been offering upholstered furniture out of its storefront in downtown Manhattan in as early as 1923, it is today widely recognized for the alluring tables, seating and other designs of the postwar era.
M. Singer & Sons rose to prominence in the 1950s. A boom in prosperity followed World War II, and new homeowners all over the United States were seeking modern furniture to move into their living rooms and dining rooms. This yielded a heyday of innovation, and the likes of Herman Miller, Knoll and other furniture manufacturers of the era endeavored to position themselves as leaders in the space. M. Singer & Sons was no different, and the company’s success over the subsequent decade can be credited to Joe Singer, who was then steering the ship.
Singer saw how important it was to offer furnishings in a style that broke from the bulky and overly ornamental pieces that characterized interiors in the previous century — M. Singer & Sons would need to manufacture streamlined storage cabinets, low-profile coffee tables and practical but comfortable seating that didn’t occupy lots of real estate.
It was thanks to his quest for modernist furniture that Singer discovered legendary polymath Gio Ponti, arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
Singer reached out to Ponti and offered a partnership for M. Singer & Sons to bring the Milanese designer’s work to America. He created elegant armchairs, sideboards set on tapered legs and more for the company. At the same time, Singer struck up a collaboration with Bertha Schaefer, an acclaimed Mississippi-born interior decorator and the owner of an important Manhattan art gallery at the time Schaefer, an enthusiast of Bauhaus design, would go on to create sculptural walnut desks, angular seating framed in mahogany and other pieces for the brand. With conceptual input from Ponti, she developed a furniture line called Modern by Singer.
The new collection — which merged the alluring forms and materials associated with Italian modernism and quality American manufacturing — was an instant success for M. Singer & Sons. Smooth lines, exceptional hardwoods and luxurious finishes lent the line a high-end feel and spurred demand.
A Schaefer-designed nesting table from the Modern by Singer line was included in 1952’s “Good Design” exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, which featured work from the likes of George Nelson, Paul McCobb, Jens Risom and others.
M. Singer & Sons introduced Ponti to an American audience, and he, in turn, introduced the company chairman to Italian designers like Ico Parisi and Carlo Mollino. These relationships also developed into successful collaborations that helped cement M. Singer & Sons' presence and prominence in modern American furniture.
Today, M. Singer & Sons’ designs by Schaefer and its stable of Italian designers are coveted and collected all over the world.
Find vintage M. Singer & Sons furniture on 1stDibs.
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut, Fabric
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut, Cotton
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Steel
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Brass, Iron
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Bouclé, Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Mohair, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Mahogany
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Teak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Brass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage M. Singer & Sons Chairs
Walnut, Cotton
