Pair of Woodard Lounge Chairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Woodard Lounge Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Woodard Furniture Co. (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.5 in (77.47 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:St. Louis, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU91517218903
Woodard Furniture Co.
Woodard Furniture Company’s diverse offerings have included everything from pine caskets to premium patio furnishings over the years.
Lyman E. Woodward founded the family business Woodard Brothers (he dropped the second w for his venture’s name), later Woodard Furniture Co., in Owosso, Michigan, in 1866. Woodard Furniture produced wood furniture such as birch and oak bedroom pieces, window and door blinds and even pine caskets. Demand for the latter increased during the spread of the Spanish flu in America, and Woodard’s casket business — a new company called Owosso Casket Company — thrived, becoming the largest casket manufacturer in the world throughout the 1920s. Two U.S. presidents, William McKinley and Benjamin Harrison, were buried in Owosso caskets.
On the furniture side, Lyman’s son Lee Woodard spun off his own business as Lee L. Woodard and Sons, opening a shop with his sons, Joseph, Lyman II and Russell. During the 1930s, the new company explored the use of metal in furniture-making and introduced a wrought-iron set of patio dining furniture featuring ornate grillwork inspired by French design called Orleans in 1940. The line became a best seller and kick-started the company’s international reputation as a patio-furniture maker, even as the Woodard factory subsequently shifted toward supporting the wartime efforts in manufacturing parts for trucks and military equipment. After World War II, the business returned to making furniture.
Over the years, Woodard and Sons would go on to master metallurgy in furniture making, developing expertise in wrought iron, cast aluminum and tubular aluminum for both indoor and outdoor pieces. While the business started with more traditional styles of furnishings, the company would go on to embrace mid-century modernism. In fact, one of Woodard’s most famous pieces is 1956’s Sculptura chair, variously credited over the years to Russell and/or Joseph. The Sculptura was reportedly the first sculpted chair made without molds. Not unlike Harry Bertoia’s elegant steel-wire Side chair (also a mid-century darling) in its undulating form, the Sculptura chair, which is composed entirely of enameled woven wrought-iron wire, bears similarity to Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair and Charles and Ray Eames’s DAX chair. The beloved Woodard chair was added to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s permanent collection in 1994.
While the Woodard business is no longer in family hands, the company continues to produce fine patio furniture today and even reintroduced the Sculptura chair in 2015 as nostalgia for mid-century modernism gained steam again.
At 1stDibs, find Woodard Furniture’s wrought-iron patio chairs, spun fiberglass dining tables and more.
- Pair of Satin Nickel Lounge Chairs by Russell WoodardBy Russell WoodardLocated in Palm Springs, CAA glamorous pair of satin nickel lounge chairs, design in the 1960s by Russell Woodard. The chairs have been newly replated and the seats recovered in a gray cowhide. Dimensions: 26...Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsNickel
- Pair of Midcentury Lounge ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYStylish pair of midcentury lounge chairs. Splayed metal legs support a spacious seating area. Please confirm item location with deale...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$2,730 Sale Price / set30% Off - Pair of black Woodard Wrought Iron with Steel Mesh Tall Back Lounge ChairsBy Woodard Furniture Co.Located in Ferndale, MIPair of Woodard high back chairs from the sculptura series. Both chairs cleaned and powder coated in gloss black. New glides added to all feet.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWrought Iron
- Pair of Danish Modern Lounge ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis impressive pair of Danish modern chairs feature sleekly sloped backrests and armrests, giving the chairs a unique visual profile. Stylish finished wooden tips on the armrests, a...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
$3,200 / set - Pair of Midcentury Italian Lounge ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYA stunning pair of vintage Italian modern lounge chairs that feature a sculpted teak frame with "Z" shaped sides. The sleek design ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Teak
$2,660 Sale Price / set30% Off - Pair of Vintage Upholstered Lounge ChairsLocated in Brooklyn, NYUnique vintage modern lounge chairs. These plush lounge chairs are upholstered in a comfy fabric with tapered wooden legs. The uniquely shaped chair...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$1,820 Sale Price30% Off