McGuire Silver Leaf Butterfly Arm Chair by Edward Tuttle
About the Item
- Creator:Edward Tuttle (Designer),McGuire (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:unknown
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU10049242690762
McGuire
Like so many artists and designers, husband and wife John McGuire (1920–2013) and Elinor Stevenson (1914–2005) became masters in their trade by accident. For the founders of McGuire Furniture Company, well, furniture wasn’t actually in the plans.
The couple met just before the start of World War II (during which John was in the U.S. Navy and Elinor was a navigation instructor) and got married after it ended. They settled down in San Francisco where John held a couple of jobs — among them selling newspaper ads for the San Francisco Examiner while Elinor worked for Boeing Aircraft. Soon, an old Navy buddy of John’s asked him to help sell a bunch of rattan furniture and, needing the money, John agreed. His side business became so successful that John decided to quit his ad-sales job and work full-time in design.
In 1948, McGuire Furniture Company was born. Alongside the mid-century modern furniture designs then gaining popularity in the United States, John introduced an unconventional idea: traditional armchairs, stools and tables made of natural materials such as bamboo, which was strong yet could be rendered pliable when steamed, that were intended for the indoors rather than the front porch.
The brand’s first success was the now famous Director’s X-Chair by Leonard Linden. The military-campaign-style solid oak folding chair launched in 1956 and saw rattan binded with rawhide strips and a high-grade leather slug seat and back that eliminated the need for a plush cushion. Elinor, too, designed some of the brand’s popular pieces, such as 1968’s Cracked Ice chair. With its rattan oval back a dazzling celebration of geometric forms that give it its charming moniker, the Cracked Ice chair was an instant classic and is one of the brand’s most recognizable designs.
Today, McGuire and another American furniture manufacturer, Baker Furniture Company, comprise Baker Interiors Group. McGuire remains true to the founders’ ideals and commitment to crafting the kind of organic modern furnishings that are synonymous with the warm and relaxed feel of California design. The company has collaborated with interior designers Steven Volpe, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy and Nicole Hollis, and, as of 2019, its luxury furnishings share a 16,500-square-foot showroom with Baker’s in San Francisco. Some of the earliest McGuire Furniture Company designs are part of the permanent collection at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Find a range of McGuire Furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Los Angeles, CA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllMid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Hide, Lacquer
Vintage 1920s American Modern Chairs
Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Dining Room Sets
Rush, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Wood
You May Also Like
Early 2000s American Hollywood Regency Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century American Art Deco Armchairs
Chrome
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Rocking Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wrought Iron
2010s Indian Other Lounge Chairs
Sheet Metal
