The history of the 'Wingback' chair was to enclose one's upper body to provide protection from the drafts that were ever present in houses in 16th and 17th centuries, and to trap the heat from a fireplace in the area where the person would be sitting. Originally simple fireside wooden benches had higher backs and wings added but in the early 1700s fully upholstered chairs were developed for the wealthy.
Following are my five favorite modern wingback chairs designed and developed in the 20th and 21st centuries.
1. Wingback Chair by Jindrich Halabala (1940-1949)
Jindrich Halabala was a designer credited with ushering in the mass market production
of furniture in his native Czechoslovakia. No longer in production you can find his furniture
on 1stdibs.com and pamono.com
2. Papa Bear Chair by Hans Wegner (1951)
Hans Jørgensen Wegner (April 2,1914– January 26, 2007) was a world-renowned iconic
Danish furniture designer. This chair is unfortunately copied by many manufacturers
throughout the world. The licensed manufacturer is fritzhansen.com
3. Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen (1958)
Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) was an architect, but he is best remembered for his simple, yet elegant and functional chair designs. He designed the Egg chair for the SAS Royal Hotel that built from 1956 to 1960. This chair, unfortunately, is probably the most reproduced chair in the world. The licensed manufacturer is fritzhansen.com
4. Elda Chair by Joe Colombo (1963)
Joe Colombo, born Cesare Colombo (30 July 1930 – 30 July 1971), was an Italian industrial
designer. No longer in production you can find originals on 1stdibs.com and
5. Grand Repos by Antonio Citterio (2011)
Antonio Citterio (born 1950, in Meda) is an Italian architect, furniture designer and
industrial designer who lives and works in Milan. The Grand Repos was designed in
collaboration with Vitra. Available at vitra.com and dwr.com
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