The period between the two world wars saw a revolution in the use of new
materials in building and design: concrete and steel. Tubular steel came
into use for household furnishings through designers such as Marcel
Breuer, Mart Stam and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Maximum utility, simple,
clear forms and low price levels were considered the essentials of
well-designed consumer goods. The fashionable modern appeal,
functionality and versatility of tubular steel furniture helped spread
its popularity, and it became a symbol of modernism. Among the major
Czech producers of metal furniture were the factories of Hynek Gottwald,
Mücke-Melder, Thonet-Mundus, Slezák and Vichr & Co. They offered
furniture and interior furnishings for everyday use. The originals of
these catalog reprints date from the heyday of tubular steel furniture
production: the 1930s. They show the diversity of the range, with
hundreds of models of chairs, tables and similar furniture used in
households, schools, hospitals, stores and gardens. 5 catalogs, 184
pages