Easy chair
Maker & role
Artes Studios, Retailer; Wycombe Industries Pty Ltd, Manufacturer
Production date
circa 1964
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Object detail
Production place
Measurements
1 - Chair, H: 74 x W: 76.5 x D: 83cm (H: 740 x W: 765 x D: 830mm)
Signature & marks
Fabric label sewn to rear of chair: 'ARTES STUDIOS'.
Printed label underside of chair: 'Wycombe / Furniture / GEELONG';
Printed label underside of chair: 'MADE BY / WYCOMBE INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD. / GEELONG (EUROPEAN LABOUR ONLY) / NEW MATERIALS / COVERING - PYC [crossed out] / HIDE [crossed out] FABRIC / FILLING - FOAM RUBBER / WADDING [crossed out] / FEATHER DOWN [crossed out] / FIBRE [crossed out] / ACRILAN';
Printed label on underside of chair: 'THE FURNITURE TRADES CONVENTION / OF AUSTRALIA / The manufacturer of this article certifies / that it complies with the requirement of / AUSTRALIAN FURNITURE STANDARD No. S.1.'
Printed label underside of chair: 'Wycombe / Furniture / GEELONG';
Printed label underside of chair: 'MADE BY / WYCOMBE INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD. / GEELONG (EUROPEAN LABOUR ONLY) / NEW MATERIALS / COVERING - PYC [crossed out] / HIDE [crossed out] FABRIC / FILLING - FOAM RUBBER / WADDING [crossed out] / FEATHER DOWN [crossed out] / FIBRE [crossed out] / ACRILAN';
Printed label on underside of chair: 'THE FURNITURE TRADES CONVENTION / OF AUSTRALIA / The manufacturer of this article certifies / that it complies with the requirement of / AUSTRALIAN FURNITURE STANDARD No. S.1.'
Credit line
Gift, Sheridan Burke, 2020
Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Caption
Easy chair with woollen upholstery, made by Wycombe Industries, Geelong; retailed by Artes Studios, Sydney, circa 1964.
Description
An easy chair from the home of Nobel Laureate for literature, Patrick White, and his partner Manoly Lascaris was used in a guest bedroom of their home in Martin Road, Centennial Park NSW. The chair was purchased at Artes Studios in George Street Sydney, a retailer of quality Australian and international Modernist furniture and furnishings. In the 1950s and 60s, White developed a habit of going to the Artes Studios showroom on a Saturday morning to browse and shop. He purchased numerous items at Artes Studios and he secured this easy chair at about the time he settled into his newly acquired Centennial Park house in 1964. White and Lascaris filled both their Centennial Park home and their previous house, Dogwoods at Castle Hill, with contemporary art and notable Modernist furniture and furnishings.
The chair complements other White-Lascaris provenanced items already held by the Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, including a pair of revolving bookcases, three pairs of curtains and a series of Modernist light shades made in Finland. The chair was made by Wycombe Industries Pty Ltd of Geelong and follows many of the ideas promoted by Modernist furniture makers of the time: it has a low-rise design that does not block sight-lines, it is practical, being comfortable but light to move and with no unnecessary ornamentation.
The chair complements other White-Lascaris provenanced items already held by the Caroline Simpson Library & Research Collection, including a pair of revolving bookcases, three pairs of curtains and a series of Modernist light shades made in Finland. The chair was made by Wycombe Industries Pty Ltd of Geelong and follows many of the ideas promoted by Modernist furniture makers of the time: it has a low-rise design that does not block sight-lines, it is practical, being comfortable but light to move and with no unnecessary ornamentation.
Accession number
L2020/8-1:2
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