Details

Title

Armchair from the SC Johnson Wax Administration Building, Racine, WI

Artist/Maker

Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867-1959), designer
Steelcase, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan, established 1912, manufacturer

Date

1936–1939

Medium

Enameled steel, walnut, and upholstery

Dimensions

34 1/2 x 23 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches

Credit

Purchase with funds from the Decorative Arts Acquisition Endowment

Accession #

1984.371.2

Location

On View - Stent Family Wing, Level 3, Gallery 310

Frank Lloyd Wright made this strikingly streamlined desk and chair for the S. C. Johnson & Son Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin. Their curved shapes and Cherokee red color echo those of the building. With enameled steel frames, a cantilevered work surface, swinging rather than sliding drawers, and hinged, removable wastebaskets, the desk and chair are remarkable examples of Wright’s innovative design sensibility. Unfortunately for the workers using it, this original three-legged form of the chair, subsequently redesigned to include four legs, was notorious for tipping over.

Image Copyright

© (c) 2002 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York