Aluminium Furniture, 1886 1986: The Changing Applications and Reception of a Modern Material

Abstract

This aticle examines the nature and role of aluminum in twentieth-century furniture making The connection between aluminum as a modern material and the representation of modernity is examined to establish how ‘new’ material can rise from being a novelity to mainstream usage The efforts of the aluminum industry,both in America and Europe,in developing furniture as an end-user marker for its products are also explored The promotion of the material often meant that non-traditional makers entered the furniture market.The issues that are concerned with materials and their relation rto design ,especially in matters of imitation, are considered here Aluminium was used to represent modenity,course of this article I draw together business history,technology and design history to explore some of the interactions that are focused aaround materials use.

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