DA 1 thumbnail 1
Not on display

DA 1

Armchair
1946 (made), ca. 1965 (upholstered)
Artist/Maker
Race Furniture Ltd (manufacturer)
Race, Ernest (designer)
Place of origin
London (made)

Armchair upholstered in orange over foam and Pirelli webbing and a steel and aluminium frame, with four tapered legs

Object details

Category
Furniture
Object type
Armchair
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Seat Cushion
  • Armchair
TitleDA 1 (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Steel
Aluminium
Upholstery
Brief description
Armchair, 1946, London, designed by Ernest Race
Physical description
Armchair upholstered in orange over foam and Pirelli webbing and a steel and aluminium frame, with four tapered legs
Dimensions
  • Height: 390cm
  • Width: 705cm
  • Depth: 825cm
Gallery label
ARMCHAIR, MODEL DA 1

Designed by Ernest Race (British, 1913-1964)
Manufactured by Ernest Race Ltd, London
Steel and aluminium frame, replacement upholstery over foam and Pirelli webbing
1946

Ernest Race Ltd was founded in 1945. This chair was one of several designed by Race which avoided the Board of Trade restrictions on the use of wood by employing cast aluminium frame parts (visible in the legs). The casting of aluminium had been developed for the munitions industry and after the war the technology was applied to the manufacture of furniture. The internal frame is of steel rod, similar to the exposed frame of Race's famous Antelope chair for the Festival of Britain.

W.76-1983
(1989-2006)
ARMCHAIR, MODEL DA 1

Designed by Ernest Race (British, 1913-1964)
Manufactured by Ernest Race Ltd, London
Steel and aluminium frame, replacement upholstery over foam and Pirelli webbing
1946

This chair was one of several designed by Race which avoided Board of Trade restrictions on the use of wood by employing cast aluminium frame parts (visible in the legs). The technology for casting aluminium had been developed for the munitions industry and after the war was applied to the manufacture of furniture. The internal frame is of steel rod, similar to the exposed frame is of steel rod, similar to the exposed frame of Race's famous Antelope chair for the Festival of Britain,
Bibliographic references
  • Studio Yearbook of Decorative Arts, 1949.
  • The Adventure of British Furniture, David Joel, Benn, 1953
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
W.76:1, 2-1983

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Record createdNovember 17, 2006
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O129267/da-1-armchair-race-ernest/
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