Designed 1876

Chair, Model No. 18

This chair model was introduced in 1876 and displayed by Thonet at the Philadelphia International (Centennial) Exhibition that year. It became a bestseller, like model No. 14 (1969-136-5), and was similarly used in cafés and restaurants. The smaller loop of bentwood inserted into the back made the chair more stable and provided support for the user. The chair is composed of pieces of lightweight bent beechwood that can be packed flat, shipped economically in parts, and assembled with a relatively few number of screws and nuts. This chair was especially successful in the export market, notably in South America.