The 1873 World Fair in Vienna 
At the World Fair in Vienna in 1873, the Thonet 
brothers-who had already participated in the 
first four world exhibitions in London and Paris- 
for the first time presented their products in 
both the Austrian and Hungarian sections of 
Group 8 “Timber Industry." 1 A complete model 
No. 15 set, manufactured in a simplyfied form 
as of 1875, 2 which was supplemented by 
salon table No. 8 was on display. Extremely 
elaborate spiral notches had been cut into the 
rods of these pieces of furniture-possibly in 
response to the negative verdict of the well- 
known art historian Jakob von Falke, who wrote 
the following about Thonet's furniture: “Like- 
wise, our bent chairs, which although they do 
combine some solidity with ease and under 
certain conditions, e.g. in coffee houses, can 
be used to great advantage, but cannot be 
used for an artistically furnished apartment, 
because they give us only transparent woven 
cane, skinny, thin rods, where the eye requires 
a meaningful object distinguished by form and 
color." 3 In the Hungarian section, a board with 
more than 30 prize medals pointed out the 
high quality of Thonet’s products. The presen- 
tation of chair No. 4 in an additional exhibition 
on the subject of “History of Trade and Inven- 
tions" shows that one was already fully aware 
of its historical significance. As the Thonet bi- 
ographer Hermann Heller wrote about it: “Such 
a chair from Cafe Daum was shown to illustrate 
the manufacturing methods of those times in 
the special department for the history of inven- 
tions at the Vienna World Fair in 1873 and is 
now located in the Technological Museum of 
Trade in Vienna.” 4 
1 A comprehensive presentation of the World Fair can be found in: 
Exhib. Cat. Vienna 2014: Experiment Metropole - 1873: Wien 
und die Weltausstellung. 
2 However, with smooth rods and simple armrests. 
3 Jakob von Falke, Die Kunst im Hause, Vienna 1873, 287. 
4 Hermann Heller, Von der kleinen Tischlerwerkstätte zum Welt 
industriehaus, Brno 1926, 20. 
Garnitur (Sessel, Fauteuil und Kanapee) Complete Set (Chair, Armchair, and Sofa), 
präsentiert auf Weltausstellung 1873 in Wien presented at the 1873 World Fair in Vienna 
Entwurf Design: Gebrüder Thonet, um ca. 1872 
Ausführung Execution: Gebrüder Thonet, Koritschan Korycany, Bistritz Bystrice, um ca. 1872; Buche, 
massiv gebogen, Geflecht Beech, solid bent, cane; Firmensammlung Company Collection TON 
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