Joseph Hoffman Die Fledermaus Chair-Piece of the Week.

Stained Beech Bent and solid wood frame. Turned legs.

This is a chair with balls.

Designed 1905-08 by Joseph Hoffman for the cafe at the  Caberet Fledermaus which opened in October 1907 in Vienna  .

Fledermaus translated simply means flying mouse, or Bat.

Its wickedly simple construction makes this chair, one of the most influential designs of the early 20^th century.

Noted as model no 728 in J & J Kohns furniture catalogue.

It is hard to now believe that this piece of early modernism was made during the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts period. One Hundred years ago.

Its simple construction lends it to mass production, something that both Thonet and Jacob and Joseph Kohn were the predominant manufacturers of. 

They were always on the look out for interesting shapes and at the time of putting this chair into production and were largely responsible for making affordable furniture for the masses.

Gerbruder Thonet had put into production Model no14 in 1859. This chair is still in production today.
I have sold several Model no 1 which was manufactured in 1866 and this rocking chair still seems worthy of a trendy loft apartment today originally manufactured with its woven cane seat and back into its solid and bentwood frame. 

Chair design also owes a debt of gratitude to the wrought iron semi cantilevered chair that was shown at the great exhibition of 1851. Thought to have been designed by R.W. Winfield & Co it still has a deep buttoned upholstery seat and arm pads that sat on a slatted frame. 

This was being produced, in a slightly altered guise in Germany by L & C Arnold and it must have influenced many.

The construction of chairs was altered by fashion and at the turn of the 20^th century simplicity was required in certain circles and this was a democratisation of furniture bringing simple style into the homes of many.

While Louis Majorelle and Galle were making works of art in solid mahogany with gilt mounts and exhibiting them to an international audience. The quiet revolution was taking place.

When Marcel Beuer designed B33 in 1927 made from tubular steel with a simple leather seat it was manufactured by the progressive company Gebruder Thonet in Frankenberg from 1929.

 It is still being manufactured today.

Would there have been a Bauhaus without Joseph Hoffman? Probably not. 

Palais Stoclet designed by Hoffman was a turning point in architecture for many.

Hoffman met Charles Rennie MacKintosh in 1902 and the combustion of ideas from two continents certainly fuelled the fire in the bellies of the Wiener Werkstatte of Vienna. Hailed as a genius by the Viennese. MacKintosh would die largely a forgotten man in his own country but be held as a everlasting beacon of hope in Europe.

The Die Fledermaus chair was originally painted white and these original chairs now command a kings ransom but this version is shown in a 1916 sales catalogue for J& J Kohn as model no 728.

This is a chair with balls. 

Something that along with the chequer board motif was Hoffmans trade mark. 

He would come to be know as square Hoffman.

And it works in all its variations of the theme its simple decoration, less is more is now proving ever more popular with a new generation who seem to have abandoned the past, wanting it only in limited quantities.

This chair, one of a pair has an original label underneath that says THONET MUNDUS. Mundus were a manufacturer and merged with  J & J Kohn in 1914 to furnish the growing sales of the company.

Thonet merged with Mundus in 1921

The original fabric is very interesting it appears to be a design that Gustav Klimt could have done, or was it a general swirl that he adopted from what was around him. Klimt was an original member of the Weimer Werkstatte.

This design has now taken on legendary status.

When you say museum quality.

I sold a exacting pair to The Walker art Gallery along with a side table some time ago.

I held this pair back. 

Its now time to let them go and let someone else have the pleasure of them.

 The pair are in original condition bearing Thonet Mundus-Borlova labels to the underside. 

Price £3750 for the pair.

Littlewoods Building Edge Lane Goes Up In Flames. I Am Gutted.

LITTLEWOODS ON THE EDGE.

It seems a long time ago now, 2002 or so when I found that there was a planning application to demolish The Littlewoods Building on Edge lane.

This seemed a stupid idea to me.
 It was a landmark building.

An Art Deco building straddling Botanic Gardens looking like a giant ocean liner on the crest of a green wave.
A landmark for the city.

It survived the blitz but would it survive the North West Development Agency who now took it into their portfolio.
 This was dangerous times for the whole rundown area.
Where would it be without a focal point.
http://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-deco-architecture-in-liverpool.html

I kicked into gear and ran a press campaign to save it. I felt I was qualified to express my opinions to the style of architecture being a specialist in the Art Deco period, a period still undervalued and I made an application to list it.

https://waynecolquhoun.blogspot.com/2012/11/art-deco-architecture-in-liverpool.html

The application was supported by the C20 society with special help from the late Gavin Stamp, a real champion of Liverpools heritage.

I got their support and the support of SAVE Britain's Heritage who were in the same building in Cowcross Street London at the time.
Through frantic last minute negotiations I managed to get the ear of the then Council leader Mike Storey who was also a board member Liverpool Land company and we managed to get the prowess of the structure recognised as important.

Then I found out English Heritage would not list it.

I have lost count how many time those English Heretics have hindered the saving of a structure. Though there have been successes.

I recall as the only objector to the Museum of Liverpool at The Pier Head pleading with the planning committee in 2005 to reject the scheme, and telling them, here, in Edge Lane, this was the perfect building for a museum, a ready made structure.

“Why does the city centre get it all” I asked “Surely the people of Edge lane deserve the chance”. I cried. “This would kick start the regeneration that was long overdue”. They did not listen.

Piloti writing in Nooks and Corners for Private Eye took up the cause and give me some valuable print. The Daily post and in particular Peter Elson gave it pages of airtime. The public seemed to love this building and got behind the campaign. Letters appeared in the press and it was agreed by the council that it was a important local landmark.

Mike Storey and his council put out a call for ideas and the need to create a scheme that would work and it was announced that Urban Splash had won and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Then nothing happened and the recession crept in.

Then that scheme was dropped then there was a foolish announcement to turn it into a school.

Nothing happened. Other schemes came and went and nothing happened.

Recently there has been a lot of emphasis on filming the city. Even though most of the films have been low grade rubbish there a big ideas and it was announced that this building would become “A huge complex that'll be a breeding ground for the best creative talents in the UK”. http://www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/home/capitalcentric-acquires-iconic-littlewoods-buildings/

I had a real sense of pride in helping to save the landmark and silently inside I was so proud of spending my time in effort for no financial return but for the love of my city.

Well all that work now looks a waste of time and any scheme to regenerate the area now looks in doubt after a fire has raged through the structure leaving it gutted.

I am gutted too. I drove over to see the building being engulfed last night,  as soon as I received a text from Peter Elson. It was heartbreaking.
The fire starting on the 2^nd September at 7 o'clock, it took several hours to bring under control and when I saw the fire it looked as if the building that survived the blitz Militant and 20 years of decay has been finally wrecked by the years of inactivity. Twenty years it has been laying there empty. While a fortune of European Objective One Funding totalling near a billion pounds there was no money for the first landmark you see driving into the city at the end of the M62.

So now what for the Littlewoods Building. Lets hope they don't clear the site and build student flats, that would be a crime. Actually who started the fire?

Some serious enquiries need to be made. There were several outbursts of anger around the fire last night with questions being asked, just as to how the tragic fire started. Some asking how this fire started. 

Just weeks after it was announced that Channel 4 would not be bringing their news headquarters to Liverpool. Very Strange indeed.