Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The Butterfly Chair

The iconic Butterfly Chair was designed in 1938 by Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy. It even has a place in the permanent collection of the Museum Of Modern Art. I just plain think it's cool. One example is shown below in an ad for 7UP from 1956:
Also from 1956, this is from the cover of The American Home magazine:
They even made a child size version! (From 1958):
This is actress Constance Towers, (I just saw her recently in a "Cold Case" episode!) posing rather provocatively in a Butterfly Chair in Look Magazine, from 1959:
The picture on the left, below, was taken here at the house we now live in back in 1971, and on the right is by my brother-in-law's pool in 1978:

I have never had one of these chairs, and I'm not even sure I have ever had occasion to sit in one! But, like I said, I just think they look cool - that's all. ( I'm actually afraid that if I ever did sit in one, I might not be able to get out of it!)

4 comments:

Tina Dawn said...

Wow, what an interesting post, I love the photo of your patio! They really did use it a lot, didn't they? It looks like a Miss Revlon doll in the child's chair. I don't know if I've ever sat in one either. I will wait 'till I'm done with Weight Watchers to try one out. LOL. Enjoy the nice spring day. Love T

yosemite faith said...

great old photos - i haven't sat in one of those chairs either.

barbara said...

I've always associated these with the 60s - tells you what I know! I have sat in a butterfly chair, and they're very comfortable, kind of like a hammock, but sitting up. But you're right - difficult to get out of!

Deanna said...

Hi Heidi!
Wow this takes me back. My aunt Felipa had one of those chairs...(did I ever tell you about the Eames chair that she had outside? Can you believe that? I made her put it inside!!)

I'm not sure what happened to that chair but I certainly remember me and my cousin's piling up on it.

Deanna :D