Author(s): Brigitte Durieux

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Artisan Xavier Pauchard, opened a small factory in 1907 to design and create household items using the process of zinc galvanizing, which was developed in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Accompanying its range of pans, buckets and watering cans, the company designed and produced, a range of furniture from the 1930's, including metal chairs that acquired a cult following. Sturdy, stackable and therefore useful, these chair were utilised for more than fifty years in cafes, hospitals, halls, barracks and even on the cruise ship Normandy.The chairs were available to the public in 1988 after Relookee won the recognition of professional decorating in 1986 and were first bought by Habitat. In New York, MoMA used the same chair in its cafeteria and in Basel, it was displayed in the Vitra Design Museum.With numerous colours in magazines, lacquered red and beige at Conran Shops, stripped and polished in flea markets and at home on any pub terrace, today these chairs are recognised at every level.In addition to drawings, catalogues, advertisements and photographs in decorating magazines, "Tolix" shows the chair as part of the history of furniture in France. The book includes contributions from experts such as Terence Conran, Frederic Migayrou-Michel (head curator at the Pompidou Centre) and Daniel Rosensztroch of Marie Claire House.

About the author:
A journalist by training, Brigitte Durieux, has been working in media for the past twenty years. Durieux is fascinated by antiques and collectibles. She works for many magazines and is the author of the teaching book Comment reussir ses relations presse, published by PriceWaterHouseCoopers.