Hans J. Wegner (b. Tønder 1914, d. Gentofte 2007)
“The Chair - Prototype”. An oak armchair. Seat upholstered with patinated black leather. Model JH 503. Designed 1949. This example made 1950 by cabinetmaker Johannes Hansen.
The model was first presented at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' 23th Guild Exhibition at Design Museum Denmark 1949, in a version with woven cane in seat and back, the year after this version with upholstered seat came out. “The Chair” was used by John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon at the legendary televised debates during the presidential election in 1960. The above copy has to be considered as a prototype of “The Chair” as it has straight joints in the back as opposed to the later known “tooth joints”.
Provenance: Tage Raaschou Nielsen, founder of Ry Furniture. Wegner gave Tage Raaschou Nielsen this chair when they started producing Wegner's furniture at the factory in 1951.
Literature: Grete Jalk [ed.], “40 Years of Danish Furniture Design”, Vol. 3, p. 98–101 and p. 140–142.
Noritsugu Oda, “Danish Chairs”, 1999, p. 108–109.
Johan Møller Nielsen, “Wegner en dansk Møbelkunstner”, 1965, p. 44–45.
Per H. Hansen & Klaus Petersen, “Moderne dansk møbeldesign”, 2007, p. 145.
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Wegner 100 years, 3 December 2014