History
Just after World War I, armament purveyors with elaborate metal stamping capabilities turned their attention to outdoor furniture with embossed and cut-out Victorian-inspired designs the height of style on popular chairs and glider sets. I often hear people refer to these lovely old gliders as belonging to the fifties era, but they are much older than that.
In fact, according to my research, they are the very first American designed outdoor furniture. Prior to that, American manufacturers replicated French bistro furniture or British steamer chairs.
I’ve focused my collecting on two little known companies that were in production during the first half of the twentieth century. The J.R. Bunting Company became known for their swinging metal glider sets and Howell Manufacturing was the first outdoor company to hire a Bauhaus trained designer.
