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Warren McArthur Furniture

American, 1885-1961

Few 20th-century designers had influential furniture that regularly flew at 30,000 feet, but Warren McArthur did. His work 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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Period: 1940s
Creator: Warren McArthur
Four Warren McArthur Chairs
By Warren McArthur
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Four Warren McArthur dining chairs. The aluminium shows wear and one of the chairs is missing its cross bar (picture attached). They have been newly reupholstered. They measure 17.5"...
Category

1940s American Vintage Warren McArthur Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Aircraft Seat Grumman Albatross, circa 1947
By Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Warren McArthur (Model 364) rare and unusual revolving navigator's seat designed in 1947 for the Grumman Aircraft Co.'s XJR2F known as the Albatross. This would make an interesting...
Category

1940s American Industrial Vintage Warren McArthur Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Aircraft Seating Proposal Drawing, 1941
By Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Warren McArthur rare original pencil proposal sketch (SK 1749) for an aircraft passenger seat for the Lockheed Corporation. This proposal was accepted and the seat was manufactured...
Category

1940s American Industrial Vintage Warren McArthur Furniture

Materials

Paper

Warren McArthur Corp. Aircraft Co-Pilot Proposal Drawing, 1946
By Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Interesting vintage proposal drawing in 1/2 scale of an aircraft co-pilot seat. Dated 1/12/46 from the Warren McArthur Corporation. Drawing measures 26 x 4...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Warren McArthur Furniture

Materials

Pencil, Paper

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Warren Mcarthur furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Warren McArthur furniture 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 furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Warren McArthur were created in the Art Deco style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Warren McArthur Corporation, Kem Weber, and Sally Sirkin Lewis. Prices for Warren McArthur furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $725 and can go as high as $24,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,500.

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