I have are the real deal...help!
There is a lot of information about the "barcelona chair" and thats great, I need some help in trying to determine if these two "tugendhat chairs" I have are authentic. I can verify they came from a building in Chicago that was constructed in 1959 and remained there until this year. These two chairs are in mint condition with no tears, cracks or signs of wear and were used in a formal executives office of the CEO. I have not found any labels but can see some pencil numbering that was written on the underside of the straps. This company has had a long standing contract with "Herman Miller" and "Knoll" furniture which continues even today. Please any information or clues to dating or establishing them as original is greatly appreciated.
Tugendhat chairs authentication
Hello, I have three of these chairs. A pair of original European chairs - complete - and a US production frame from the early 1950s. The frame came from an institution in Chicago. All are genuine Knoll production. I would like to compare notes with you. Please post your email address and I will contact you about this. Thanks.
Sorry for the long delay..."Tugendhat Armchairs" and discussions for authentication.
Hello to everyone who has responded in kindness, I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I don't have a lot of experience with blogging but I am sure I can figure out how to post images of these important chairs. I forgot to mention that these are actually "Tugendhat arm chairs". I will also add that the building in which these chairs came from was originally designed by SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merrill). I wonder if these were gifted by this architect's firm sometime after the completion and design of the building they came from in 1960? The most obvious and noticeable thing one will immediately realize is that although these chairs were definitely rarely sat in or used they certainly are well swept back, almost appearing to be bent. Could it be possible these are some early "Prototype" chairs? It is a mystery that I really would appreciate your assistance in understanding there true history. I look forward to your reply and any help or suggestions, as well as sharing what may possible be something extremely special to people like ourselves who appreciate Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe and Mid Century design movement. I have tried posting some images but possible because I am a MAC user my "Safari" browser may not be compatible with this site. So for anyone truly interested my email is: coolwater1@mac.com Please be sure to add something in BOLD PRINT in the "Subject line" so I don't inadvertently delete your message. I look forward to chatting with you.
Safari is compatible
And works great with Macs, better than PCs (as anyone who ever embedded a YouTube video here can attest).
Upload your pics to photobucket, flikr, or your mac MobileMe gallery. Then take the URL address of each photo, and paste them into your next forum post in the boxes labelled "Associated Web Images".
I am DYING to see your chairs.
TUGENDHAT LOUNGE ARMCHAIRS...To my distant friends who share a "Love" and appreciation for Mid Century work.
Hello everybody, wow how time flies. It has been a long time since my last post to this cool site regarding a shared interest in Mid Century Modern Furniture but more specifically "Tugendhat Lounge Armchairs". I had a gentleman from "Wright Auction" house in Chicago stop at my home and snap several pictures of these two "Tugendhat Lounge Armchairs" as recently as last week. At first this representative from Wright offered me $5,000.00 U.S. dollars for my chairs. I replied..."I am going to pretend I didn't hear what you just said". I then said "Look I am not sure how you came to this quick figure and offer but I will tell you certainly only this"...."these are NOT reproductions, and nor have they been refabricated ever, these are ORIGINAL chairs in there ORIGINAL condition!" I suspect this rep from "Wright Auction House in Chicago" found the condition of these "Tugendhat Lounge Armchairs" to be in such PHENOMINAL condition he quickly assumed that they must me reproductions or at the very least refabricated. The answer and reply I offered to him surely rang loudly because it is not only quite interesting and remarkable but simply the TRUTH! So my friends are you ready for this fascinating story and history as the same one I shared with the "Wright Auction House representative" last week? Remember the name Ted Kaczynski AKA as the "Uni-Bomber"? Well apparently he sent a mail bomb to a long past CEO of United Airlines in the 1960's and immediately after that United Airlines had a "Bullet proof glass wall" enclosure installed and a security officer stationed within the CEO's suite. These two "Tugenhat armchairs" remained confined within this very space. Because they remained in a restricted area these chairs were never sat in and hence there pristine condition today. I must add that I have viewed images of similar "Tugendhat chairs" posted on Wright's own site to be listed as in "Excellent Condition" although they show MUCH more wear than the chairs I currently have in my posession today. Furthermore the "Tugendhat chairs" listed by Wright are NOT even "Arm chairs" as my own chairs which truly appear to be much more rare than the staandard tugenhat chairs. I also have to add that my chairs are in much better condition than the standard Tugendhat's listed today by Wright Auction House. These chairs actually have hand written numbering on them on each seat strap which I believe may suggest an even earlier production. I recall that when I first posted a comment or thread here last year someone responded to me by suggesting that I simply take a measurement of the "Back-rest and frame" and see if the measurement comes out in "Inches" or "Centimeters".
TUGENDHAT LOUNGE ARMCHAIRS...To my distant friends who share a "Love" and appreciation for Mid Century work.
CONTINUATION OF LAST MESSAGE:Supposedly this may be a way to determine if these chairs were manufactured and built in Europe or here in the United States. Does this make sense to you as serious collectors of Mies Van Der Rohe furniture? I did in fact measure the "Back-rest" but I am not sure if the measurement should be taken from the "Outside" or "Inside" of the steel frame. Can anyone offer some guidance and or suggestions to further "Authenticate" the history and date of manufacture of these specific "Tugendhat Lounge Armchairs"? If so I am truly grateful for any information or suggestions in determining their date and origin at this time. I remain gratful for any supportive information and help you may provide in identifying the history and or current value of these two iconic chairs. Sincerely, Paul.
Anorak, in reply of your request to compare notes regarding the "Tugendhat" Chairs
My email address is : Design64@mac.com
To : HEATH who posted a reply in this forum regarding the images of the "Tugendhat" Armchairs...
I still seem to be having a hard time posting images here, if you want I can send you images of these chairs directly to your email address. I look forward to your reply and sharing any information between one another. Have a good one....paul.
LRF USA, I am truly curious as to why and how you feel these chairs are the "Real Deal".
Please write me if you have time. My email address is : Design64@mac.com I look forward to your reply, Paul.
Down wright despicable!
Wow, very interesting to here your offer on the spot from Wright. I am curious if you contacted them to possibly consign these chairs for auction or if they where under the impression you wanted to sell them direct?
I am sure you have some idea of value and know that 5k is such a low-ball offer, really insulting to hear that what I thought was an honest auction house would try to pull a fast one!
A quick google will find these chairs have sold (through Wright) back in 2004 for about 16,000US.
Take care!
http://www.architonic.com/dcsht/tugendhat-armchairs-wright/4105464
Thanks so much for getting b...
Thanks so much for getting back to the forum on this. I 3d modelled the chair a while ago, tracing the blueprint on the computer (God damn those cushions!) but was a little stuck with the actual dimensions of the flat bar, I presumed it was the same as the Barcelona but the steel in the photographs just did not look the same. Would you be so kind as to help out on that?
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