Harry Bertoia And His Iconic Collection Of Chairs

Famous for his collection of Bertoia Chairs, Harry Bertoia was born on 10th March 1915 in San Lorenzo, Pordenone, Italy. At the age of fifteen he visited his brother in Detroit and made a decision to stay in the USA. He found an interest for creating jewelry, when he attended Cass Technical High School. He went on to study at the Art School of Detroit Society of Arts (College of Creative Studies) in 1938. In 1939, he received a scholarship to Cranbrook Academy of Art and it was here that he met Ray and Charles Eames.

Upon finishing his studies, Bertoia began to teach metal work and jewelry design from his workshop. Due to the scarcity of metal throughout the war years he concentrated more on jewelry making during this period.

He married Brigitta Valentiner in 1943 and moved to California to work with Charles and Ray Eames. Amongst other endeavours at that time, they started experimenting with moulded plywood and along with Eerio Saarinen they developed a technique for producing moulded plywood splints that would later develop into processes for designing furniture.

The pieces were upholstered, to start with, and molded over lattice steel rods and were produced manually. There was some dispute, with Herman Miller taking an action which claimed that the patent for incorporating two thin wires welded on both sides of a mesh seat, was granted to Eames. Herman Miller won the action and the Bertoia collection was re-designed utilizing a heavier, single wire and grinding down the edge of the seat wire at a smooth angle.

The Diamond Chair was a commercial success and the Bertoia Chair Collection was created. This collection includes: the Diamond Lounge Chair, the Bird Chair, the Bertoia Side Chair, the Bar Stool and the Asymmetric Chaise. Bertoia's objective of creating functional art pieces by bending metal rods, resulted in a collection of designer chairs that have achieved iconic status and much praise from the global design fraternity. His chairs were first produced by Knoll in 1952 and it is testimony to his work that they are still in production to-day.

The commercial success of the Bertoia chairs, allowed the designer to focus on sculpture. He became a fellow at the Graham Foundation in Chicago in 1957. During this time, his work focused on the relationship between sound and metal and in particular the sounds created by touching the metal or wind passing through it.

The American Institute of Architects recognised the design genius of Harry Bertoia. Harry Bertoia's name has been immortalised, by his collection of chairs. Designed in the 1950's they are a legacy that will live on for many years to come.