Forward-looking architect Walter Lamb is best known for his revolutionary and widely loved patio furniture — he salvaged metal tubing from sunken ships in Pearl Harbor in the 1940s to create alluring chaise longues and other pieces for the backyard. His vintage furniture designs have been adorning patios worldwide for almost a century.
Trained as an architect at the University of California Berkeley campus, Lamb found himself in Hawaii during the 1940s. This period was a time of growth for furniture designers and manufacturers, as veterans were returning to the United States, getting married and starting families. These folks needed practical furniture for their new homes, and as the movement we now call mid-century modern took shape, imaginative architects and furniture makers would fill that need. Lamb was one such innovator.
Lamb worked the shaped tubing and fittings he’d gathered from battleship wreckage into proper frames and wrapped the structures in marine-grade cotton cording to create comfortable, element-proof outdoor furniture. Today his patio furniture has an esteemed place in the history of design. In fact, furniture enthusiasts are eager to restore and collect his iconic aged furniture rather than purchase reproductions.
Postwar California would become reputable as a manufacturing center for versatile furniture intended for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Seating, tables and other items — often made with rattan — produced by the likes of McGuire and Brown Jordan became a defining feature of organic modern living, a style that still characterizes many California interiors and influences innumerable design firms. Pasadena’s then-new Brown Jordan picked up Lamb’s designs, which eventually included dining tables, side tables and coffee and cocktail tables. And along with these furnishings, Lamb's sculptural vintage seating — his curvaceous lounge chairs and armchairs with cotton cord seats — while perfect for your fire pit, shouldn’t be relegated to outdoors-only settings.
Lamb received much acclaim for his work. The Museum of Modern Art in New York recognized his 1940s-era outdoor furniture for Brown Jordan with a design award.
On 1stDibs, find a noteworthy collection of vintage Walter Lamb furniture.
$24,500 / set
Walter Lamb Arm Chairs
By Walter Lamb
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Walter Lamb Arm Chairs. Manufactured by Brown Jordan Beautiful natural verdigris surface Set of 6
Copper
Walter Lamb Square Lounge Chair
By Walter Lamb
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Walter Lamb Bronze and Rope Lounge Chair Manufactured by Brown Jordan Beautiful natural patina
Bronze
18th Century Welsh Country Lambing Chair
Located in Calgary, Alberta
This lovely country farm oak lambing chair was found in Wales, UK. From the 17th to the 19th century, these chairs were commonplace in British farmhouses...
Wood, Oak
On Hold|$1,850 / set
H 33 in W 71.25 in D 27.75 in
Pair of Walter Lamb Inspired Outdoor Poolside Chaise Lounge Chairs
By Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Walter Lamb inspired outdoor poolside chaise lounge chairs with metal frames and white elastic cording. In very original condition with heavy patina, fading and discoloration...
Metal
Walter Knoll Turtle Chair in STOCK
By PearsonLloyd, Walter Knoll
Located in New York, NY
On the outside, the bucket is a success with its clean sweeping vital lines; inside, a second, comfortably upholstered bucket is perfect for relaxing. Turtle is easy to swivel with a...
Fabric
Walter Knoll Deen Leather Chair in STOCK
By Walter Knoll
Located in New York, NY
Deen designed by Eoos for Walter Knoll is a beautiful chair with stainless steel legs.
Leather
$6,720Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.5 in W 22 in D 70 in
Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise Lounge, circa 1960s
By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sculptural bronze 'Waikiki' rocking chaise lounge by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. These collectible examples of functional art features curvy tubular bronze frames and rewoven with ...
Bronze
$6,500
H 30.5 in W 25.5 in D 28 in
Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze & Vinyl Patio Wide Lounge Chair
By Brown Jordan, Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wide patio lounge chair by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. The chair has a simple construction in tubular bronze with a patinated finish, with rounded squares serving as runners on e...
Bronze
Jacques Quinet Arm Chair
By Jacques Quinet
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Jacques Quinet arm chair in black leather with signature contrast hand stitching and thick brass feet. Wonderful angled legs and patina to leather on legs. Seat newly upholstered in...
Metal, Brass
$6,560Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.5 in W 22 in D 70 in
Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Bronze 'Waikiki' Rocking Chaise, 1960s, New Canvas
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sculptural bronze 'Waikiki' rocking chaise lounge by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. These collectible examples of functional art features curvy tubular bronze frames and rewoven with ...
Bronze
Linen Arm Chair
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
French inspired upholstered linen bergère chair. This French inspired chair is based on an original Napoleon III style pair of chairs. Napoleon III was the nephew of the Napoleon tha...
Linen
English Aesthetic Movement Chair by Lamb of Manchester
By Lamb of Manchester
Located in London, GB
An aesthetic movement chair By Lamb of Manchester designed by W.J. Estall Of unique elegance and design, the black ebonised chair fashioned in the...
Upholstery, Wood
Bertu Arm Chair, Modern Mondo Arm Chair, Maple
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
This Mondo Arm Chair in Maple is beautifully constructed from solid wood and veneer in Ohio, USA. The chair's silhouette is low, simple, and modern with comfortable reversible back a...
Maple
$4,200Sale Price / set|27% Off
H 31 in W 65 in D 20 in
Pair of Mid-Century Rocking Chaises Walter Lamb Waikiki Lounge Style CA. 1950s
By Walter Lamb
Located in Camden, ME
Designed with a clean sculptural profile, these mid-century rocking chaise lounges combine lacquered steel tubing with finely handwoven flagpole cord for a light, architectural prese...
Steel
Walter Lamb Pair of Classic Bronze Chairs
By Walter Lamb
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A great pair of Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan occasional chairs. Frames with beautiful bronze finish and patina, newly recorderd with cotton cord.
Copper
Walter Lamb Armchairs for Brown Jordan, circa 1959
By Walter Lamb, Brown Jordan
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Walter Lamb set of four armchairs for Brown Jordan, circa 1959. Very nice consistent verdigris patina.
Bronze, Copper
One Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan Outdoor Indoor Dining Chair
By Walter Lamb
Located in Pasadena, TX
Living in Honolulu post WW2, Lamb was involved in the salvage effort in Pearl Harbor. From materials reclaimed from sunken ships, (copper and bronze tubing...
Bronze
Sold
H 29 in W 22.75 in D 32.5 in
Pair of 21st Century Lounge Chairs with Ottomans by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan
By Walter Lamb
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of 21st century lounge chairs with ottomans by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan. Bronze tubing, marine and UV stabile cording in black. Total depth 32.5", total width 22.75", o...
Bronze
Rare and Early Set of Six Dining Chairs by Walter Lamb
By Walter Lamb
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Rare and early set of six indoor / outdoor patio dining chairs by Walter Lamb. The armchairs measure: 22.25" wide x 20.75" deep x 32.5"...
Bronze
Three Walter Lamb Occasional Bronze Chairs
By Walter Lamb
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These came from an old estate that belonged to Ike and Tina Turner 1950s-1960s view park area Los Angeles. The house and all its' contents was sold roughly 50 years ago to a dentist....
Walter Lamb Chairs
By Walter Lamb
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Walter Lamb chairs with original flagline rope and patina.
Bronze
Robert Lewis Chairs, predates Walter Lamb
By Walter Lamb
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Pair of chairs by Robert Lewis. A well known design source in Santa Barbara from 1914 - 1952. His designs predate Walter Lamb's and were the inspiration for Walter Lamb. In 1932 Lewis represented Warren McArthur and if you look at early McArthur card tables you will see the joinery that Robert Lewis uses for the front leg are identical to this chaise. Whenever you see the Cartier like double C stretcher bars you are looking at Lewis not Lamb. Lamb was caught in Lewis's backyard tracing the arm radius's which are very similar. Lewis started working in copper and steel tubing framed furniture in 1932 as a result of his relationship with Warren McArthur. Chairs measure 24" deep, 20.5" wide, 32.5" high and seat height is 17.5". Inside seating is 17.5" wide, 18" deep. A matching Chaise Lounge is also available. NOTE: Thank you to Nick Brown...
Bronze