Authentic Warren McArthur Art Deco Vanity & Chair Set, Labeled, Original, 1930s

Details

Description

Exceptional vanity set by Warren McArthur (American, 1885-1961) aluminum with original suede upholstery, and glass, the chair with firm's label … Read more Exceptional vanity set by Warren McArthur (American, 1885-1961) aluminum with original suede upholstery, and glass, the chair with firm's label "WARREN MCARTHUR CORPORATION MANUFACTURERS, ROME, NY, ANODIC FURNITURE PATS. APPLIED FOR". Musem quality piece with original label.

Vanity: 30" H x 42" W x 18" D.

Provenance: From a New York City Collection and Christie's, New York, 10-11 December 1993, Lot 571.

Warren McArthur founded the Warren McArthur Corporation in Los Angeles in 1930. His furniture designs were true to the Machine Age / Deco aesthetic. Machine Age design emphasized sleek forms inspired by automobiles, locomotives and airplanes. These objects were symbols of progress and modernity to the American consumer with their streamlined aesthetic and sleek forms of steel, chrome and aluminum.

Prior to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, known as the “Century of Progress Exhibition,” most Americans considered metal furniture suitable only for offices, hotels and other commercial spaces. The fair’s tagline, “See America Streamlined,” and the abundance of metal furniture and home goods exhibited finally presented the concept of utilizing metal designs in the typical American household.

The Museum of Modern Art followed suit in subsequent years with exhibitions like "Machine Art," (1934), and "Bauhaus 1919-1928" (1938), further exposing the public to this new notion visual language of modernity.

The Warren McArthur Corporation moved manufacturing to Rome, New York in 1933 and his pieces were sold out of a showroom in New York City on Park Avenue.

As a manufacturer, McArthur filed numerous patent designs which he utilized in advertisements to exhibit the innovations he developed. The company also proudly printed patent numbers on furniture labels. This demonstrated to the customer that they were purchasing unique, scientifically designed, and thus very "modern" furniture. For both durability and comfort, McArthur’s tubular aluminum furnishings were constructed with an internal tension rod within the aluminum frame, providing a slight ‘give’ which was believed to be a sign of quality and provide a higher level of comfort. Also, McArthur developed joinery that did not use small screws, nails or other pieces that could be misplaced. Each joint is composed of internal washers that affix the small portions of aluminum tube together over the internal rods. These interior parts are held together on the exterior aluminum braces.

With the outbreak of World War II, aluminum in the United States was prohibited for private use. McArthur applied his talents to the war effort and designed aircraft seating for the Air Force and Navy, utilizing his expertise with the material.

Literature:

Edwards, Clive. "Aluminium Furniture, 1886-1986: The Changing Applications and Reception of a Modern Material." Journal of Design History 14, no. 3 (2001): 207-25.

Kirkham, Pat and Susan Weber. History of Design: Decorative Arts and Material Culture, 1400-2000. (New York: The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture, 2013)
"Modern Solutions." Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 27, no. 2 (2001): 47-110.
Moonan, Wendy. "ANTIQUES; Rediscovered: Early Master of Metal." The New York Times, August 27, 1999, Arts sec.
Wilson, Richard Guy, et al. The Machine Age In America: 1918 - 1941. Japan: Times Mirror Books, 1986.
Warren McArthur Furniture Ltd. “Furniture”. 1933: n. pag. Google Patents. Accessed February 2, 2017. See less