Inventing the Swivel Chair

Welcome to Becoming Sage, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. My name is Elan Baumgarten, this is our second episode where we will explore the origin of an office classic which goes by many names, among them “swivel chair”, “spinny chair”, or perhaps the most common “revolving chair”. Most attribute the creation of the revolving chair to former American president, legislator, and congressman: Thomas Jefferson. In 1775 Jefferson had relocated to Philadelphia after joining the Continental Congress. Knowing well enough that he would have to complete a large amount of paperwork at any given time, Jefferson went to acquire perfect and comfortable office furniture. He found a wooden, and stationary, windsor chair. He removed the legs and separated the back and bottom of the chair. He reconnected them with an iron spindle and casters, leading to its 360 degree functions. He would eventually take the chair back to his plantation in Monticello, Virginia, during the year 1776. Yet he would not do so before it had made a highly distinct impression on the nation. His chair has been forever intertwined with American history and the creation and signing of America’s Declaration of Independence. In his plantation the chair went through more revisions as he gave it bamboo appendages and other such modifications. While Jefferson can be attributed with the invention of this specific feature in revolving chairs, many have been involved in the creation of our modern day’s chair. Even Charles Darwin, the mind behind the Theory of Evolution, had his part in the invention of the swivel chair. He was one of the first to attach wheels to his chairs, allowing for easier maneuvering about his workspace. Around the mid-19th Century a boom in railways led to increasing business sizes, and therefore a higher capacity for workers was required, especially as clerical work became more common. In 1849, American inventor Thomas E. Warren designed the Centripetal Spring Armchair, which featured the same spinning capabilities that Jefferson had, but with a sturdier foundation. Designed for the office, his chair even had a ‘skirt’ which concealed the spring beneath the seat, which helped workers to get things without getting out of their seats. By 1904 Frank Lloyd Wright would create the Larkin Building chair, which was designed specifically with typists in mind, attempting to fix their poor posture. Unfortunately, this chair would garner a poor reputation as the ‘suicide chair’, hinting to its disposition to tipping and falling over, with the person in it. By 1976 the mechanical solutions to this office conundrum were starting to become apparent. Countless renditions of the chair would be invented in this time, but a few truly stuck out of the crowd. For instance, the Vertebra Chair which took its inspiration from the spine. You could even raise and lower it like a modern revolving chair. This was the first chair to do such. Very possibly the most important contributor to bridging the gap between these chairs and what we have today was Herman Miller, a furniture company. One of their engineers, Bill Stumpf, created the Ergon Chair. Its primary focus was to make the body more comfortable, with padded seating and more complex spine support. It had gas-tilt levers to control the height, and five legs to support the chair. The way he invented this chair was perhaps more revolutionary than the chair itself. He used timelapse photography to map office travel patterns to build the chair. Previously they rarely lowered farther down than 18 inches off the ground, despite the average length of a woman’s leg from thigh to floor was 16 inches. During the 90s a tech boom saw Herman Miller launch another chair design, the Aeron Chair designed again by Bill Stumpf, but this time in collaboration with Don Chadwick. This new chair had that ‘pellicle mesh’ for your spine and surprisingly enough, temperature regulation. On top of this it was also the first chair with ‘reactive tilt’, that little bit of tilt you get when you lean back. Even in the modern day we continue to advance in the revolving chair. Just in 2018 Steelcase launched a new chair that automatically adjusts to your body, without any manual adjusting at all! Thanks for listening to Becoming Sage, this is Elan Baumgarten, be sure to tune in next time to hear the ordinary become truly extraordinary.