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Chair

1951 (designed), 1951 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This chair was Heal's principal contribution to the Festival of Britain; it was commissioned as terrace seating for the South bank site and was used alongside Ernest Race's Antelope and Springbok chairs. Only nine hundred examples were produced in typical early 1950s pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow and white. A J Milne was chief designer for Heal & Son and produced a large number of models for the company during the 1950s.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
painted, perforated sheet steel and bent steel rod
Brief description
Pink stacking terrace chair, perforated sheet steel and steel rod, designed by A.J. Milne for the Festival of Britain, manufactured by Heal & Son Ltd., UK, 1951.
Physical description
Stacking terrace chair with perforated sheet steel seat and back on a steel rod frame. The legs and the arms are made of one bent steel rod on each sides. The whole chair is painted in pink.
Dimensions
  • Height: 80cm
  • Width: 56.8cm
  • Depth: 70.8cm
  • Seat height: 40.3cm
JS (17.12.2010)
Production typeLimited edition
Object history
The chair was designed for the Festival of Britain in 1951. It was used as a terrace seating in the South Bank site, alongside Ernest Race's 'Antelope' and 'Springbok' chairs. Only nine hundred examples were produced in typical early 1950s pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow and white. This rare design represents a modern form typical of the period, and the distinctive palette of the Festival.

Historical significance: The chair is rare on the market. The surviving examples have been often repainted. No other examples in good original condition are known in public or private collections.
Production
Attribution note: Only nine hundred examples were manufactured in different colours.
Association
Summary
This chair was Heal's principal contribution to the Festival of Britain; it was commissioned as terrace seating for the South bank site and was used alongside Ernest Race's Antelope and Springbok chairs. Only nine hundred examples were produced in typical early 1950s pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow and white. A J Milne was chief designer for Heal & Son and produced a large number of models for the company during the 1950s.
Bibliographic reference
At the sign of the four Poster a History of Heals, Susanna Goodden, Heal and Son Ltd, London 1984, pp. 104/5.
Collection
Accession number
W.34-2010

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Record createdDecember 20, 2010
Record URL
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