Chairs
to
683
2,723
1,712
4,597
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
2,258
1,358
350
857
240
599
138
289
103
169
82
180
1,512
391
121
118
113
92
46
38
35
30
28
26
24
17
11
9
8
7
631
2,294
13,231
13,277
1,109
6,824
3,488
236
61
199
391
435
1,761
2,091
1,755
878
283
2,599
1,788
1,283
960
922
3,164
1,395
740
685
463
4,597
4,597
4,597
140
110
90
83
65
Chairs For Sale
Period: Late 20th Century
Period: Early 20th Century
Safari Chair in Black Leather Wood Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
M. Hayat & Brothers Pakistani, 'Safari' lounge chair, leather, stained wood, brass, Pakistan, 1970s
This Safari-inspired armchair exemplifies refined elegance through its meticulou...
Category
1970s Pakistani Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Brass
Rainer Daumiller Set of Six Dining Chairs in Darkened Pine
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Rainer Daumiller for Hirtshals Sawmill, set of six dining chairs, black lacquered pine, Denmark, 1970s
Beautiful, organic and natural dining chairs in solid pine designed by Rainer ...
Category
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Pine
Draped Plaster and Fiberglass Chairs
Located in Las Vegas, NV
We just love this pair of sculptural pair of Trompe-l'oeil draped plaster and fiberglass chairs. They have been finished to look like stone. They achieve a very unique and artistic l...
Category
Late 20th Century Chairs
Materials
Steel
Pair of Vintage German Fabric & Aluminium Desk Chair from Fröscher Sitform
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This pair of modernistic armchairs was produced by the German manufactory Fröscher Sitform during the 1970s. The frame is made of solid aluminum. The ...
Category
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Mario Botta, 4 'Seconda' Metal Chairs, Alias Mod. 602, 1980s
By Mario Botta
Located in Argelato, BO
Mario Botta, set of 4 "Seconda" Armchairs produced by Alias, Italy 1982. Structure with armrests in gray powder-coated steel, black seat in perforated steel sheet.
Backrest made up...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Steel
4 Brutalist Oak Dining Wabi Sabi Room Chairs
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
Introducing the "Wabi Sabi Oak Chairs" - a set of four robust and heavy oak chairs, inspired by the design ethos of the 70s and perfectly suited to complement the styles of renowned ...
Category
1970s Dutch Brutalist Vintage Chairs
Materials
Oak
Victorian Piano or Desk Chair
Located in Peekskill, NY
This swivel chair is a bit ornate but still has a nice light feel to it. It wood finish is original with a dark reddish color and a slight aged patina. Strangely enough I've walked b...
Category
Early 20th Century American Victorian Chairs
Materials
Wood
Guido Faleschini Tucroma Dining Chairs in Black Leather for Mariani, 1980s Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsome Tucroma dining chair by Guido Faleschini for Mariani. Distributed by Pace in New York. Great original leather in bla...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Rare Postmodern Cantilever Bentwood Chair by Randers, Scandinavian Modern
Located in Chicago, IL
Black painted bentwood and tubular steel cantilevered chair made by Randers Mobelfabrik in Denmark -- for the offices of Kroin in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the early 1980s. Kroin i...
Category
1980s Danish Post-Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
Antique French Cane Walnut Dining Chairs, Set of 6
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Offering One Of Our Recent Palm Beach Estate Fine Furniture Acquisitions Of A
Set of 6 Antique Early 1900's French Provincial Cane Walnut Dinin...
Category
Early 20th Century French Provincial Chairs
Materials
Cane, Walnut
Gaetano Pesce “543 Broadway” Chair for Bernini, 1993
By Gaetano Pesce, Bernini
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gaetano Pesce “543 Broadway” chair for Bernini, epoxy resin, stainless steel, gum, 1993
The eclecticism and genius of Gaetano Pesce are explicitly visible in his iconic "543 Broadwa...
Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Pair of Vintage Baker Rolling Armchairs with Jack Lenor Larsen Fabric Upholstery
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A pair of vintage Baker Furniture armchairs with Jack Lenor Larsen upholstery. This gorgeous set of mid century modern armchairs feature stunning Jack Lenor Larsen upholstery with a ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Mario Bellini Cassina Italian 401 Break Leather Armchairs, 1980s Pair
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in Miami, FL
Mario Bellini Cassina Italian 401 Break Leather Armchairs, 1980s Pair
Offered for sale is a pair of iconic chairs designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in the 1980s. The "Break" le...
Category
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
"Maya" chairs designed by Giotto Stoppino for Bernini in the 1970s, Set of four
Located in Milano, IT
A collection of four Maya chairs crafted by Giotto Stoppino for Bernini during the 1970s, these chairs have undergone recent reupholstering with a luscious,...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of Six Ribbon Back Dining Chairs by Dennis and Leen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing the elegant and sophisticated Set of Six Ribbon Back Dining Chairs by Dennis and Leen. This exquisite collection of dining chairs is a true testament to the craftsmanship...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Textile, Wood
Set of 4 "Harlow" Chairs by Ettore Sottsass, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Set of 4 "Harlow" Chairs by Ettore Sottsass, 1970s.
Circular base and chromed single leg.
Signs of wear on the leather and some minor oxydation of the chromed surface, otherwise go...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
Panton Chair by Verner Panton for Herman Miller / Fehlbaum, in white 1976
Located in Halle, DE
Panton S-Chair, designed by Verner Panton for Hermann Miller / Fehlbaum. Color: white. The chair is from the 2nd production run from 1970 onwards in thermoplastic luran-s with reinfo...
Category
1970s German Space Age Vintage Chairs
Materials
Plastic
2 Leather MR10 Chairs by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, 1960s
Located in Argelato, BO
Vintage set of 2 MR10 dining chairs by Mies Van der Rohe. Chrome cantilevered frames with black original leather
Category
1970s Bauhaus Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
Herman Miller Eames 3-Seat Tandem Bench Eastern Air Lines Red Orange Naugahyde
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Iconic Mid-Century Modern Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller tandem bench. This modular system features three Eames shell chairs with r...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Pair of Maison Jansen Giltwood French Louis XVI Style Chairs
Located in Roma, IT
Pair of very well proportioned, elegant and chic Louis XVI style wood and gold leaf gilded chairs created very probably by Maison Jansen.
Each chair with curved oval-shaped padded b...
Category
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
Materials
Wood
Set of 4 'Monk' Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, Italy 1974
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 4 leather and wood chairs model Monk, Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, Italy
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood
Antique Set of 12 Swedish Gustavian Gray Painted Dining Chairs
Located in Round Top, TX
This wonderful set of twelve dining chairs exudes a graceful country charm. While likely from a Swedish farm house, these speak to a more upscale home with a touch of elegance due to...
Category
Early 20th Century Swedish Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood, Paint
Austrian post-modern chairs 411 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian post-modern chairs 411 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s
Set of three chairs model 414 with square seat and oval backrest, padded and covered in bright purple silk fabric...
Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Glass chair in the Manner of Louis Dierra
By Louis Dierra
Located in London, GB
This striking curved glass chair, inspired by the iconic designs of Louis Dierra for the Glass Centre Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, represents a masterful blend of a...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Glass, PVC
Set of 8 Green Cobra Chairs by Giotto Stoppino, Italy, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Set of 8 Green Cobra Chairs is a set of chairs realized in the 1970s by Giotto Stoppino ( Milan, 1926 ) .
Chromed tubular steel structure and light blue fabric.
This ' Cobra ' chai...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Chairs
Materials
Steel
Adrondach Children's Ranch House or Beach Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These very cool Children's beach or ranch house chairs are so amazing and coated in nautical boat varnish for protection.They are very strong and durable.Sold as a pair.
Category
Early 20th Century American Adirondack Chairs
Materials
Hickory
Giancarlo Piretti, a Set of Four Chairs, Plia, Anonima Castelli, 1970s
Located in Paris, FR
Giancarlo Piretti
Plia
A set of four aluminum folding chairs each with a caned seat and back.
Produced by Anonima Castelli, Italy.
With a Castelli label.
circa 1970.
Lite...
Category
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
Austrian post-modern purple fabric Chairs by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian post-modern purple fabric and black wood chairs by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s
Pair of chairs with square seat and oval backrest, padded and covered in bright purple ...
Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Rye for Marble Furniture Co. Chair Prototype Tubular Steel Cushion Lenor Larsen
By Ralph Rye
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A unique chair prototype – a lounge chair by Ralph Rye for Marble Furniture Company. Circa 1970. The frame is constructed with tubular steel, powder coated in blue. Cushion seat, uph...
Category
1970s American Vintage Chairs
Materials
Steel
Set of Four French Louis XVI Style Painted Chairs, Lyre Model, C.1900
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A set of four French Louis XVI style painted lyre back chairs on four tapered legs. C. 1900.
Category
Early 1900s Antique Chairs
Materials
Wood
A Pair of MID-CENTURY-MODERN CHAIRS by RANDALL BUCK for STEELCASE, France 1970
By Strafor, Charles Eames
Located in PARIS, FR
A very nice pair of office chairs, "visitor" models with double shell 451, Modernist, Space-Age, Sixties, cross legs, metal frames, brown lacquered shells, upholstered interiors in o...
Category
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
set of 4 chairs "Africa" by Afra and Tobia scarpa for Maxalto - 80s
Located in Milano, MI
Stunning set of 4 chairs africa model, from the Artona collection, designed in 1975 by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto (B&B Italia). The chairs have a sculptural frame of solid li...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood
Unusual Antique Art Nouveau Quality Mahogany Inlaid Child’s Chair
Located in Suffolk, GB
Unusual Antique Art Nouveau quality mahogany inlaid child’s chair having a superb quality mahogany shaped back with a pretty inlaid top rail, fantastic quality carved centre splat, s...
Category
Early 1900s European Art Nouveau Antique Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Africa Chair for Maxalto
Located in San Francisco, CA
Afra & Tobia Scarpa design "Africa" chair for the Artona line by Maxalto, Italy. Elegant and sophisticated design combining form with function, beautiful to admire and comfortable to...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Leather, Walnut
Argyle Highback Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Located in Toronto, CA
The 'Argyle' chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh - designed in 1897 and exhibited at the Eighth Secession Exhibition in Vienna, Austria in 1900 - is one of the most iconic chairs of t...
Category
1980s Italian Arts and Crafts Vintage Chairs
Materials
Ash, Ebony
Set of 6 'Monk' Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molten, Italy 1974
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 6 canvas and wood chairs model Monk, Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, Italy
It is one of the most iconic and refined models by the famous...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Leather, Wood
Vintage Boho Chic Handcrafted Beige & Black Wicker, Rattan, Reed Peacock Chair
Located in Miami, FL
Stunning Boho Chic handwoven vintage Beige and black peacock chair from the 1970s.
Please note the details and different techniques in this chair....
Category
1970s American Anglo-Indian Vintage Chairs
Materials
Wicker, Rattan, Reed
Set of 4 director’s chairs in bamboo and black leather, Lyda Levi for McGuire
By McGuire
Located in Roma, RM
Set of 4 director’s chairs in bamboo and black leather, McGuire San Francisco 1970
Product Details
Made with leather bindings and details in burnished brass.
Dimensions: 60 W × 80 H ...
Category
1970s Vintage Chairs
Materials
Brass
Gloss White Panton S-Chair by Verner Panton / Herman Miller Fehlbaum Production
Located in Doornspijk, NL
The S-chair by Verner Panton is one of the absolute stars of furniture pop art.
This is the original version of the Herman Miller Fehlbaum Production ...
Category
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Plastic
1990s Cassina “Utrecht” Chairs by Gerrit Rietveld, a Pair
Located in Roanoke, VA
Fantastic pair of modernist lounge chairs, model 637 Utrecht by the designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina from the 1990s. Fabric is a cool silvery blue. Check out the incredibl...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet
Till Lesser Chaise Lounge
By Till Lesser
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Stunning Till Lesser stacked laminated chaise lounge.
Signed and dated.
Category
1990s German Chairs
Materials
Wood
Brutalist Pair Knotty Pine Chairs (After Charlotte Perriand / Pierre Chapo)
Located in Round Top, TX
Rich aged, heavyweight, hand-made, pine Brutalist pair of chairs. This pair of chairs has been created in the style of Pierre Chapo, Charlotte Perriand, Victor Courtay, and De Puyt. ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Brutalist Chairs
Materials
Pine
Javier Mariscal & Pepe Cortes Chair "Tio Pepe", 1980s Barcelona / Spain
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
Design: circa 1986.
Height 98cm, Width 63cm, Depth 49cm.
Execution: B.D. Ediciones de Diseno, Barcelona.
Tubular steel, painted black, aluminum sheet.
At the moment it is the on...
Category
1980s Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal, Aluminum
Batlló Chair by Spanish Modernist Antoni Gaudí
Located in Toronto, CA
Originally designed by Spanish Modernist Architect Antoni Gaudí in 1907, to be placed in the dining room of Casa Batlló, the Batlló Chair was one of the first signs of ergonomic furn...
Category
Early 20th Century Spanish Art Nouveau Chairs
Materials
Wood, Oak
French Louis XV Style Vanity Chair
Located in Houston, TX
French Louis XV Style Vanity Chair.
This lovely antique French Louis XV style chair was created as a vanity chair or dressing table chair however it would work perfectly in a living ...
Category
1920s French Louis XV Vintage Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Philippe Starck Costes Chair For DRIADE 1980s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Costes Chair By Philippe STARCK For Driade 1980s
Category
1980s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
Neoclassical Antique French-Style Gilded Chair
Located in Rümmingen, BW
"shipping note: If your region or country is not listed under the shipping options please contact us directly"
This antique chair features a gilded wooden frame with a spindle backr...
Category
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood, Giltwood
Art Deco Chair with Upholstered Seat, Europe First half of the 20th Century
Located in Utrecht, NL
Characterised by bold shapes, rich materials, and luxurious aesthetics, Art Deco transformed the way we perceive interior spaces. The era praised the fusion of form and function, an ...
Category
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Gurage Peoples Chair
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking and rare early 20th century Ethiopian Gurage Peoples chair with a modernist spirit, carved of a single piece of wood with a curved back and a r...
Category
Early 20th Century Ethiopian Tribal Chairs
Materials
Wood
Rare Walnut Copper and Parchment Side Chair by Carlo Bugatti.
Located in Montreal, QC
Rare carved walnut side chair by Carlo Bugatti upholstered with parchment and inlaid with pewter details and mounted with hammered copper decoration. Beauty & Mischief: The Design Al...
Category
Early 1900s Italian Aesthetic Movement Antique Chairs
Materials
Walnut
Laurens Groen Art Deco Side Chair in Birch and Beige Corduroy Velvet 1920s
By H.H. de Klerk & Zonen, Laurens Groen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Laurens Groen for H.H. de Klerk & Zoonen, chair, birch, corduroy velvet, The Netherlands, 1924
This chair by Dutch designer Laurens Groen has a striking, well-documented provenance....
Category
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Birch
Pair of Armchairs Chairs Marcel Kammerer, Thonet, Turquoise Green Leather, 1910
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A pair of fantastic bentwood armchairs designed by Marcel Kammerer and manufactured by Thonet, Austria, circa 1910.
They are made of dark or almost black stained beech wood in mahog...
Category
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Chairs
Materials
Leather, Bentwood, Beech
Midcentury Chromed Metal with Removable Rattan and Wicker Italian Chairs, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful midcentury set of four wicker and chromed metal Italian chairs with removable rattan seat. These amazing pieces were produced in Italy during the 1970s and attributed to designers Franco Campi...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Metal
William Birch for Liberty & Co. A pair of Arts & Crafts rush seat oak chairs
Located in London, GB
William Birch. Liberty and Co retailer. A classic pair of Arts and Crafts rush seat oak chairs with a wide curved headrest and attractive wild grain. Ring turned legs with ring turne...
Category
Early 1900s Arts and Crafts Antique Chairs
Materials
Rush
'657' Armchair by Charles Pollock for Knoll International, Labeled, c1970s
By Charles Pollock, Knoll
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Welcome to the world of timeless elegance with this exquisite mid-century modern 1970s Charles Pollock Armchair, known as the "Sling Chair", Model 657. Immerse yourself in the beauty...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
Original Wassily Sessel Knoll International Marcel Breuer weiß
By Knoll, Marcel Breuer
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Wassily Chair von Knoll International aus den 1990er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Der von Marcel Breuer entworfene Sessel ist eines der bekanntesten Möbeldes...
Category
1990s German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel, Chrome
René Herbst Pair of 'Sandows' Dining Chairs in Steel and Cord
By René Herbst
Located in Waalwijk, NL
René Herbst, pair of 'Sandows' chairs, model '101', chrome-plated steel, elastic rope, France, design 1928, produced 1970s.
The 'Sandows' chair epitomizes the industrial advancement...
Category
1920s French Modern Vintage Chairs
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Iconic Chiavari chair by Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi, Italy 1970s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Italy / 1970 / chair / Chiavari / Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi / brass, velvet / mid-century / Hollywood regency / vintage
This iconic chair in polished brass with green velvet uphols...
Category
1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Vintage Chairs
Materials
Brass
Shop Antique and Vintage Chairs on 1stDibs: Lounge Chairs, Dining Chairs and Other Seating for Sale
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Kaleidoscopic Upholstery Makes This Edward Wormley Chair a Showstopper
What at first glance seems an unusual choice jibes perfectly with the designer's aesthetic.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
How to Reupholster a Chair
Want to update an old chair that still has good bones? We spoke to experts to find out how they approach reupholstering antique furniture.
How to Spot Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI Chairs
A field guide for anyone who wants to brush up on their knowledge of French antiques
The Ball Chair, Eero Aarnio’s Space Age Masterpiece, Was Almost Never Made
Now considered emblematic of 1960s mod aesthetics, the Finnish designer's famous creation was far from an overnight success.