1940s Chairs

Oak duckboard chair model 103 by René Gabriel, 1941 Chair by René Gabriel designed in 1941 for the provisional construction department. This was the first emergency furniture for victims of the Second World War bombings. This chair is part of that era and has a highly symbolic value. René Gabriel (1899 - 1950) is a precursor of French industrial design. He was one of the first to create, as early as the 1930s, economical mass-produced furniture combining aestheticism, robustness and sobriety, a source of inspiration for a whole generation of future designers. A student at the Germain Pilon School and then at the National School of Decorative Arts, René Gabriel began as a domino maker by designing and producing his own wallpapers, and then made his mark as a decorative artist in most of the salons and international exhibitions of the inter-war period. In 1927, he began his research into the creation of mass-produced furniture and proposed a piece of furniture composed of juxtaposable and superposable elements. He studied an economical version that he presented in 1934 at the Salon des arts ménagers under the name of RG elements. Another major turning point came in 1944, when the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Planning commissioned him to create emergency furniture. A fervent advocate of furniture for all, René Gabriel designed numerous models for disaster victims by establishing close ties with industry. He also collaborated with Auguste Perret...

Chaise de René Gabriel dessiné en 1941 pour les service des constructions provisoires. Ce sont les premiers meubles d'urgence liés aux sinistrés des bombardements de la 2ieme guerre...

Pair of duckboard chairs model 103 in oak by René Gabriel, Norma, 1941 Set of 2 chairs in varnished stained oak with three slats back and duckboard seat designed by René Gabriel a...

Set of 6 solid oak "reconstruction" chairs by René Gabriel, France 1940s. These chairs were designed and produced to furnish the homes rebuilt after the war, particularly in the citi...

1940s French design reconstruction era by René Gabriel oak wooden pair of armchairs 'RG178' models.

Series of six stackable chairs in oiled beech by René Gabriel, Period of the French Reconstruction (1945-1955). These chairs are part of the emergency furniture provided to victims of the bombings of the 1939-1945 war. One of the most influential designers of the French 1950s style...

Chairs designed by Rene Gabriel in France, circa 1946. Oak wood base and structure. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beauti...

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