Set of Two Bar Height Bar Stools by Norman Cherner for Plycraft, USA, c. 1964
View Similar Items
Set of Two Bar Height Bar Stools by Norman Cherner for Plycraft, USA, c. 1964
About the Item
- Creator:Norman Cherner (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 44 in (111.76 cm)Width: 17.25 in (43.82 cm)Depth: 21 in (53.34 cm)Seat Height: 31.25 in (79.38 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. This iconic set of barstools are in remarkably excellent condition and have recently undergone a partial restoration. The walnut plywood composition shows a small area of veneer damage on the seatback (which can be seen clearly in the photos provided.
- Seller Location:Deland, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: AM01709-2-RL1stDibs: LU7413231860172
Cherner Chair
Boasting clean lines, gentle curves and organic material, 1958’s Cherner chair distinctly embraced the attributes of mid-century modern furniture, even though its author may not have been as prolific or well-known as his contemporaries.
New York City architect and designer Norman Cherner (1920–87) was fascinated by the principles of the Bauhaus movement and taught at Columbia University — where he’d previously been a student — and at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He worked in various areas of design, including crafting storage systems and lighting, but the Cherner chair's inspiration came from his passion project: In the late 1940s, Cherner was building low-cost modular housing in upstate New York. He designed affordable furniture for these homes and wrote books such as Make Your Own Modern Furniture about his idea that good furniture should be available for all. The Cherner chair fits this philosophy, but the story begins with the Pretzel.
In the early 1950s, a plywood chair called the Pretzel debuted in a Herman Miller showroom. It was conceived by John Pile, a designer in the studio of George Nelson, who was then Herman Miller’s design director.
While beautiful, the Pretzel had structural problems and was expensive to make, so Herman Miller contracted Massachusetts manufacturer Plycraft to produce the chair. A dispute between the two companies and concerns over costs halted Pretzel production in 1957, so Plycraft president Paul Goldman got Cherner (a Nelson recommendation) to improve upon the design. The Cherner chair, in the sculptural swoop of its wing-like arms and sloping seat made of layers of laminated plywood, emphasized the distinctive properties of working with the material, not unlike the work of Charles and Ray Eames. The design became popular in 1958, but Cherner wouldn’t know: Goldman told him the chair was canceled while selling it under a different name.
Cherner sued Plycraft after he’d discovered he’d been lied to. When a judge ruled in his favor in 1961 — which forced Plycraft to pay Cherner royalties and bring the chair to market with proper credit — it was good timing. The chair appeared in Norman Rockwell’s new painting The Artist at Work, which ran on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in September of that year. Cherner’s elegant chair was famous, and it remained in production until 1972.
Today, the Cherner Chair Company, founded by Cherner’s sons Benjamin and Thomas, produces the Cherner chair based on Norman’s original drawings. It was reintroduced in 1999. In addition to manufacturing new cabinets and tables, the Cherner brothers have debuted various iterations of the Cherner chair — including with an upholstered seat, a painted seat and more — and have rescued their father’s other seductive seating designs as well.
Norman Cherner
Norman Cherner was an influential designer who explored postwar technological innovations and how to incorporate them into furniture production and architecture. And while its history is complicated, his Cherner chair is one of the most successful examples of mid-century modern molded plywood seating.
Born in New York City, Cherner was an architect and a prolific designer who taught at Columbia University’s Teachers College. An enthusiast of the Bauhaus, he gave lectures in the late 1940s on the principles of the legendary German design school at the Museum of Modern Art.
Cherner was fascinated with the concept of cost-efficient design, and this extended into his pioneering ideas for prefabricated housing. His philosophy was that a modular home should be a complete design concept that included economical furniture and lighting. He published several DIY books, such as How to Build a House for $6,000. Cherner caught the interest of a housing cooperative in upstate New York and was contracted to design and oversee the construction of prefabricated housing in the town of Ramapo. The U.S. Department of Housing assembled a pre-built Cherner home for exhibition in Vienna.
But he is best known for his chair.
In the 1950s, one of George Nelson’s designers, John F. Pile, created the Pretzel chair. It had structural problems and proved too costly to make at Herman Miller, where Nelson was director of design. Production was subcontracted to Massachusetts company Plycraft, but the agreement didn’t last long owing to a dispute between the furniture manufacturers. Based on a recommendation from Nelson, Plycraft sought out Cherner to redesign the chair so that it would be durable and affordable to produce.
Cherner submitted his redesign only to be told that Plycraft had shelved the project. However, Plycraft secretly began producing what would become the Cherner chair under a different name — and Cherner later stumbled across his seat in New York. Cherner sued Plycraft and won. The chair became instantly popular after being featured in a Norman Rockwell illustration for a Saturday Evening Post cover in September of 1961.
Other noteworthy Cherner designs include his Konwiser furniture line, Multiflex storage units and tube lighting. The Museum of Modern Art praised his Konwiser collection as “some of the most progressive furniture designs available to the American public.”
In 1972, Plycraft discontinued production of his chair, and Cherner died in 1987. In 1999, his two sons founded the Cherner Chair Company and began making furniture based on their father's original designs for armchairs, chairs — including the Cherner chair — tables and credenzas.
Find vintage Norman Cherner furniture on 1stDibs today.
- Single Dining Chair by Norman Cherner for Plycraft, USA, C. 1964By Norman ChernerLocated in Deland, FLDeveloped in 1958 by Norman Cherner for Plycraft, cemented in history as one the most dramatic and iconic chairs of American Mid Century Modern design. The Avant Garde design was acc...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsNaugahyde
- Set of Two (2) Substantial Campaign Bar Height Bar Stools by Maitland-Smith, 80sBy Maitland SmithLocated in Deland, FLAs stylish as they are grand in stature these truly one of a kind barstools are the embodiment of Exotic Luxury. With seats made from thick-cut genuine leather, elegantly sculpted fr...Category
Vintage 1980s Philippine Campaign Stools
MaterialsBrass
- Set of Three ( 3 ) Silver Moon Bar Height Bar Stools by Pascal Mourgue, 1980'sBy Pascal MourgueLocated in Deland, FLAs rare as they are visually captivating these extraordinary barstools, designed by the acclaimed and visionary Pascal Mourgue, are the epitome of functional art. Recently redone in ...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsMetal
- Set of Four '4' Bar Height Bar Stools Attributed to Maitland-Smith, C. 1980sBy Maitland SmithLocated in Deland, FLAs stylish as they are grand in stature these truly one of a kind barstools are the embodiment of Exotic Luxury. With seats made from thick-cut genuine leather, elegantly sculpted frames made of solid brass and intricately wrapped in worn fishing ropes this extraordinary stool set could be at home on an African Safari or poolside in the Hollywood Hills. Attributed to the Maitland-Smith Furniture Company, a name that is synonymous with luxury and artisanship, these stools were built to withstand the test of time and use. Audacious in their shape and Scope these stools are ideal for designers and collectors alike searching for a character-rich accent piece that can make a BOLD statement through graceful, almost organic form. Truly the perfect amalgamation of luxury and ruggedness this unique set won't last long. Make it yours today. ---Dimensions--- Width: 18.5 in / 46.99 cm Depth: 20 in / 50.8 cm Height: 42.5 in / 107.95 cm Seat Height: 30.5 in / 77.47 cm Condition Details: This extraordinary set of barstools is in 100% original, vintage condition and has aged to perfection! The genuine leather shows only minor signs of vintage wear such as light areas of discoloration as well as minor nicks (which can be seen in the detail photos provided). The rope that twines around the frames shows only minor signs of wear such as small areas of discoloration and minor fraying (shown in detail photos provided) and the solid brass footrests show a perfect patina that only adds to rich character of these unique barstools...Category
Vintage 1980s Philippine Campaign Stools
MaterialsBrass
- Set of Two (2) Designer Lucite Decorative Pretzel Armchairs After Norman ChernerBy Norman ChernerLocated in Deland, FLAs elegant as they are rare this exquisite set of custom-made pretzel chairs is unlike anything we've ever seen. This extraordinary set is constructed from solid polymethyl methacryl...Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLucite
- Set of Four '4' Hammered Industrial Counter Height Bar Stools, France, C. 1950sLocated in Deland, FLForged from solid aluminum these exceptional stools were built to last forever. Featuring pierced metal seats, intricate welds and sharp modern angles this set is perfect for collect...Category
Vintage 1950s French Industrial Stools
MaterialsAluminum
- Norman Cherner Bar StoolBy The Cherner Chair Company, Norman ChernerLocated in Munich, BavariaNorman Cherner bar stool from 2004. Beech plywood in stianed coral orange colour and chrom feet. Classic iconic design in the bar stool variation....Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Norman Cherner Bar Stool Chair BlackBy The Cherner Chair Company, Norman ChernerLocated in Munich, BavariaNorman Cherner bar stool from 2004. Beech plywood in black lacquered colour and chrom feet. Classic iconic design in the bar stool variation.Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Cherner Under Counter Stool, Bar HeightBy The Cherner Chair Company, Norman ChernerLocated in Berkeley, CAThe latest design from Benjamin Cherner. The under counter stool features a molded plywood seat with laminated wood base and a bright chrome footr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsWalnut
$995 / item - Pair of Cherner Armchair by Norman Cherner for PlycraftBy Norman ChernerLocated in Centreville, VAFound in design collections across the world, the Cherner chair was originally made of walnut faced moulded plywood, using similar techniques to those that Charles and Ray Eames were...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Cherner Under Counter Stool, Counter HeightBy The Cherner Chair Company, Norman ChernerLocated in Berkeley, CAThe latest design from Benjamin Cherner. The under counter stool features a molded plywood seat with laminated wood base and a bright chrome footr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsWalnut
$995 / item - Plycraft Chairs by Norman ChernerBy Norman ChernerLocated in Van Nuys, CAThis is a set of 4 colorful chairs designed by Norman Cherner for Plycraft. Each chair is painted in its own unique color: red, green, blue, and yellow....Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
$5,060 / set