Chair

Attributed to Christopher Dresser British, Scottish
 Roundels designed by John Moyr Smith
Manufacturer Coalbrookdale Company British

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 516

The versatile artist Christopher Dresser is often celebrated as the first industrial designer. Philosophically, he was aligned with his contemporary William Morris on the virtues of good design but unlike Morris, he did not distain industrial production methods. Rather than affiliating himself with a single company or starting a workshop of his own, Dresser worked as an independent designer for manufacturers in many media, including ceramics, metalwork, glass, furniture and textiles. This cast iron chair is emblematic of the marriage of design reform to industrial production.

Chair, Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse), Cast iron, wood, British, Coalbrookdale

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Chair, Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse), Cast iron, wood, British, Coalbrookdale
Chair, Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse), Cast iron, wood, British, Coalbrookdale
Chair, Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse), Cast iron, wood, British, Coalbrookdale
Chair, Attributed to Christopher Dresser (British, Glasgow, Scotland 1834–1904 Mulhouse), Cast iron, wood, British, Coalbrookdale

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