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Warren McArthur

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.

Average Sold Price
$4,805
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Warren McCarthur Lounge Chair
By Warren McArthur, Warren McArthur Corporation
Located in Chicago, IL
Warren McArthur Lounge Chairs by Warren McArthur Corporation aluminum frame , upholstery Great Plains woven wool, rubber feet Dimensions: 31"high 26" wide 30" deep
Category

1930s Vintage Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McCarthur Lounge Chair
Warren McCarthur Lounge Chair
H 31 in W 26 in D 34.75 in
Warren McArthur Sofa
By Warren McArthur
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Warren McArthur, Sofa
Category

Mid-20th Century Warren McArthur

Materials

Metal

Warren McArthur Sofa
Warren McArthur Sofa
H 29.3 in W 69.3 in D 34.8 in
Art Deco Aluminum and Leather Lounge Chair by Warren McArthur
By Warren McArthur
Located in San Diego, CA
Art Deco aluminum and black leather lounge chair with hockey puck feet by Warren McArthur, circa 1930s. The chair frame and feet are in great original condition while the upholstery has been recently replaced with gorgeous black leather. What a looker! The chair measures 25.75"W x 32"D x 31.5"H with a seat height of 16". This is a very rare and hard to find chair and would be the focal point of any art deco or machine age room! Check out our period side tables that would look fabulous with this chair! #3094 Warren McArthur (1885–1961) was an American industrial and furniture designer who specialized in aluminum tubular furniture during the 1930s. Warren McArthur, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Warren McArthur, Sr., a successful businessman, and Minnie Jewel McArthur. Frank Lloyd Wright was a friend of the McArthur family. In 1892, Wright designed the house for the McArthur family, located in Chicago. McArthur attended Cornell University where he studied engineering. In the late 1920s, McArthur began his career as an industrial designer by creating furniture for the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, which was designed by his brother Albert Chase McArthur. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Arizona Biltmore failed, and McArthur moved to Los Angeles, California to create a furniture fabrication company. In the early 1930s, aluminum became a popular industrial design material, and McArthur developed a specialization in designing and making aluminum tubular furniture, including chairs, tables, sofas, lamps, and ashtrays. McArthur soon began to receive commissions from prominent architects. Paul R. Williams commissioned McArthur to design 30 pieces of aluminum furniture for the Cord family who owned the Cord automobile company. He was also commissioned to make aluminum furniture for Rudolph Schindler's design for Sardi's restaurant location in Los Angeles. So too, McArthur's aluminum furniture was popular with Hollywood stars and producers of the 1930s. His clients included Jack L. Warner, Marlene Dietrich, Fredric March...
Category

Early 20th Century American Art Deco Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Rare Warren McArthur Two-Tier Desk with Drawers, Reversible, Machine Age 1930s
By Warren McArthur, Warren McArthur Corporation
Located in Chicago, IL
Warren McArthur two-tier desk with drawers Aluminum and black lacquered wood Warren McArthur Corporation, 1930s Measures: 48" x 24" x 30" desk height Desk is reversible, and ca...
Category

1930s Machine Age Vintage Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Side Table with Patinated Top
By Warren McArthur
Located in Dallas, TX
Warren McArthur aluminum table with patinated wooden top.
Category

1930s Vintage Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Rolling Cart Yellow and Green Anodized Rings, circa 1938
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
Rare Warren McArthur bar cart / service cart from the late 1930s with yellow and green turnings. Green Vitrolite shelf inserts are replacements. Good condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Rare Warren McArthur Arizona Biltmore Era Lounge Chair and Ottoman C. 1931
By Warren McArthur Corporation, Warren McArthur
Located in Camden, ME
A wonderful Warren McArthur club chair and ottoman that personify the comfort of his furniture. Warren's patented compression assembly was designed to provide flexibility in the frame to add more comfort via a slight flex in addition to the cushions. The aluminum strap back added to this flexibility in contrast to the rigid welded steel tube frame that was the standard of McArthur's contemporaries. This club chair and ottoman were manufactured at the Warren McArthur Furniture Company in Los Angeles between 1931/33. The chair's design, while similar in overall look, predates Warren McArthur's classic Park Avenue Lounge (Style No. 1003 EAU p. 9 of his 1936 corporation catalog) by at least two years. This is the only example of this chair that I have seen. The pair was said to have come from the Arizona Biltmore but I cannot confirm that provenance. The absence of labels is typical of all Arizona Biltmore furniture...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Machine Age Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Coffee Table ca' 1930's
By Warren McArthur
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Unusual Warren McArthur coffee table with architectural, machine age base and original formica black top. Signed underneath.
Category

1930s American Machine Age Vintage Warren McArthur

Materials

Aluminum

Warren McArthur Coffee Table ca' 1930's
Warren McArthur Coffee Table ca' 1930's
H 17.75 in W 36 in D 18 in
Browse all Furniture from Warren McArthur
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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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