Makers of Simple Furniture

Birch-faced moulded plywood with opaque lacquer.
Metal plaque inscribed: Reg. No. / 791116.

Furniture

Rare 'Bent Ply (BPAC)' Armchair

History:
The registration number on the base of the chair corresponds with the entry in the National Archives in Kew, London, which reveals that the design was registered under the names of Gerald Marcus Summers and his wife Marjorie Amy Butcher on 13th March 1934. The chair was included in Makers of Simple Furniture's first promotional brochure from 1935 with the above registration number and priced at £3,15.

Literature:
Alvera, Alessandro, 'Bent Wood and Metal Furniture: 1850-1946', The American Federation of Arts (Seattle) 1987, p. 318, fig. 106.
Dunn, Steve, 'Gerald Summers: Furniture for the Concrete Age', 2011, p. 38-39, 45, 64, 77 (model with its associated Registered Design number); p. 80,118, 132, 198, 283.

Designed in 1933.
Stained birch plywood, horsehair upholstery.

'HBC' (High Back Chair)

History:
Gerald Summers designed this chair after his 'Fireside Chair' (FSC), intended for dining. Made out of only 5 pieces of plywood, the chair was extremely economical and simple to make. The back of the chair forms in a natural curve that was impossible to control, this 'free-form' in design was a critical innovation in furniture design in 1933.

Literature: 
Ostergard, Derek, 'Bent Wood and Metal Furniture 1850-1946', University of Washington (USA) 1987, p. 163, 318.
Sloane, Able, Woodhouse, Ruby, 'The Simple Heart of Plywood', 1934 (United Kingdom) 2018, p.15.
Dunn, Steve, 'Gerald Summers: Furniture for the Concrete Age', 2011, p 60-61.

Designed in 1933
Birch plywood, horsehair upholstery. 
Stamped '67' to upper surface of seat.

Provenance:
Private Collection, UK;
Fine Art Society, London.

Birch Plywood.
This is believed to be the only example of this chair to exist, though it is known that two were originally produced.

Provenance:
Private Collection, London;
Decorative Arts, Christie's, London, 16 February 1994, lot 74;
The Fine Art Society, London;
Private British Collection;
Private Collection, London.

Rare 'Type P Chair'

History:
The legs of this chair have been formed from single strips of bent plywood, which rise to form the back supports. The great Italian architect and designer Carlo Mollino created a pair of plywood chairs for the Casa Cattaneo (now held in the Vitra Design Museum), which have highly comparable leg arrangements but he did this 20 years after Summers had designed his Type P Chair.

Literature: 
Dunn, Steve, 'Gerald Summers: Furniture for the Concrete Age', 2011, pp.58, 283.

Stained birch plywood.
Probably executed on license in Sweden for Makers of Simple Furniture, 1930-40's