Neue Sammlung in Munich exhibits Gisela Neuwald`s collection of children`s chairs
(Artdaily.org)

Children’s chairs play a special role in design history. While the invention of the chair dates back to Classical Antiquity, seating designed especially for children only exists from a much later point onwards. Initially these were reserved for the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. Over the course of the 19th century, however, with the advance of industrialization and general schooling increasingly gaining importance, the children’s chair soon emerged as a design subcategory in its own right. By following its history, one cannot only follow the development of new construction methods and the use of new materials, but also trace the change in the social situation of children. The Thonet company not only undertook pioneering work by making modern seating available to the broader masses through the invention of bentwood techniques, but also supplied furniture suitable