Designed for function, each chair has a story to tell about the history and
evolution of American design, art and craftmanship. At the heart of the
catalogue is the presentation of 57 chairs from the Jacobsen
Collection of American Art covered in 49 essays, all showing beauty and
historical context, as well as important social, economic, political and
cultural influences. Highlights include designs by John Henry Belter, George
Hunzinger, Herter Brothers, Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and
Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, and Frank Gehry, among others. The
chairs are arranged across four main, broadly chronological sections, from the early 1800s to the Civil War; from
Reconstruction through the Gilded Age to the dawn of the 20^th
Century; from Art Nouveau to post-war Modernism; and finally, from the post-war
Space Age to the Digital Age and the contemporary focus on space saving and
sustainability. Each section opens with a brief introduction to its key themes.