Emeco 1006
Encyclopedia
The Emeco 1006 chair, also called the Navy chair, is an aluminum chair produced by the Electric Machine and Equipment Company (Emeco) in Hanover, Pennsylvania
, USA.
The chair was commissioned in the 1940s by the U.S. Navy in World War II
for use on warships: the contract specified that it had to be able to withstand torpedo blasts to the side of a destroyer. Together with Alcoa
experts, Emeco's founder, Witton C. "Bud" Dinges designed the 1006, a chair so durable that it far exceeded the Navy's specifications: When Dinges threw one chair out of a sixth-floor window at a Chicago furniture show, it survived undamaged except for a few scratches. Most wartime chairs are still in perfect condition and are occasionally available on the U.S. civilian market as military surplus from mothballed Navy ships.
While it employed 300 workers and produced thousands of chairs per month for the Navy in World War II, Emeco was less effective in adapting its unchanged line of aluminum furniture to the civilian market after the war. As of 2006, it has 35 workers and an output of about 1,000 chairs per month. Nonetheless, the Emeco 1006 has become an icon of American design, appearing regularly in design magazines, fashion layouts and TV shows such as "Sex and the City
" and "House, M.D.." In the 2000s, the chair was the basis of a new line of aluminum furniture designed by French designer Philippe Starck
.
The manufacturing process used for the chair, unchanged since 1944, is a two-week, 77-step process that involves twelve parts being welded together, then being ground to create a seamless one-piece look. A proprietary heat-treatment process contributes to the chair's strength, which has a life expectancy of 150 years and comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
, USA.
The chair was commissioned in the 1940s by the U.S. Navy in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for use on warships: the contract specified that it had to be able to withstand torpedo blasts to the side of a destroyer. Together with Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
experts, Emeco's founder, Witton C. "Bud" Dinges designed the 1006, a chair so durable that it far exceeded the Navy's specifications: When Dinges threw one chair out of a sixth-floor window at a Chicago furniture show, it survived undamaged except for a few scratches. Most wartime chairs are still in perfect condition and are occasionally available on the U.S. civilian market as military surplus from mothballed Navy ships.
While it employed 300 workers and produced thousands of chairs per month for the Navy in World War II, Emeco was less effective in adapting its unchanged line of aluminum furniture to the civilian market after the war. As of 2006, it has 35 workers and an output of about 1,000 chairs per month. Nonetheless, the Emeco 1006 has become an icon of American design, appearing regularly in design magazines, fashion layouts and TV shows such as "Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
" and "House, M.D.." In the 2000s, the chair was the basis of a new line of aluminum furniture designed by French designer Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck
Philippe Patrick Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style...
.
The manufacturing process used for the chair, unchanged since 1944, is a two-week, 77-step process that involves twelve parts being welded together, then being ground to create a seamless one-piece look. A proprietary heat-treatment process contributes to the chair's strength, which has a life expectancy of 150 years and comes with a lifetime guarantee.