Director’s Chair

The Director’s Chair is familiar to all of us even if we are not a film director. Cinema made it real to the world, once many directors chose that seat for decades.  A stereotypical image of a director in the set is the director’s chair embroidered with the personal name giving to it the feeling of a unique piece of a unique ‘genius’.

Take n. 1 – The design of this chair goes back to the 15^th century when the chairs were used by coffer-makers. Some even trace its roots to the Romans’ time. Take n. 2 – In USA the modern American style directors’ chair made its international debut during the lead up to the Chicago World’s Fair Columbian Exposition in 1893. Take n. 3 – In 1892, Wisconsin Camp Furniture’s folding chair – the director’s chair – was awarded a gold medal for excellence in casual furniture design. Since then the chair became a star and the company known as Gold Medal Furniture Company. Take n. 4 – it is said that Napoleon was known to use one too. Well, he was a kind of imperial director. But the use of the chair diversified over the years and it is possible to find this chair in many contexts and environments. It is without a doubt a very comfortable seat. Take n. 5 – it is a “lightweight chair that folds side-to-side with a scissors action. The seat and back are made of canvas or a similar strong fabric which bears the user’s full weight and can be folded; the frame is made of wood, or sometimes metal or plastic. The seat and scissors members work together to support and distribute the sitter’s weight.

Author: Fátima Pombo

Photo: New York Film Academy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director%27s_chair