2“ 
was able to show that this type of chair could be made in a more elegant 
shape and lighter, thus a real “running chair." 16 Due to the novel method 
of laminating-it is no longer veneer Strips being glued together, but rather 
fine square dimensioned rods joined in bundles-they were then able to 
produce three-dimensional structural components out of a single piece. 
Only the constructive opening at the transition of the front legs in the 
seat ring and the rear leg/backrest construction was filled with a carved 
solid wood part. 
The transformation of the Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna had a very large 
impact and there was a series of remodeling work in other palaces. Thus, 
around 1850, Prince Johann Adolf Schwarzenberg also had the Garten 
palais Schwarzenberg furnished with Neo-Rococo-style furniture. 
Michael Thonet was commissioned, possibly through the mediation 
of Desvignes, with the production of a light occasional chair, which 
was to become known under the name “Schwarzenberg Chair." The 
“knotted" Liechtenstein chair, which was aptly called the “Snake Chair" 
in the handworker’s invoices, was the prototype for this design. 16 
The chair for the Palais Schwarzenberg is a formally and constructively 
simplified Version of this Liechtenstein chair type. The front legs are now 
solid and are screwed into the seat frame. The “knot” is used as an in 
dependent motif in the back. Similar to the Boppard chair, individual com 
ponents can be combined. With a few changes along the way the 
Schwarzenberg chair found its way into serial production and finally be- 
came Model No. 1 in 1856. 
Die Söhne Michael Thonets; Foto von Fritz Luckhard (1843-1894), Wien, 
um 1880, Heliografie von Karl Klic Michael Thonet’s sons; photo by Fritz 
Luckhard (1843-1894), Vienna, ca. 1880, heliography from Karl Klic 
fcefeifjMter 's 
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Früheste Geschäftskarte der Gebrüder Thonet, 1852/53 
Earliest business card from Gebrüder Thonet, 1852/53 
In 1849, Carl Leistier refused an offer from Michael Thonet for a part 
nership. Thonet therefore began to work independently on the second 
floor of the house in Gumpendorf, at 396 Hauptstraße, at the corner of 
Kasernengasse. 17 Up until recently, literature assumed that the sons ac- 
tively worked in the father’s workshop, but actually that was not the case. 
August worked-at least temporarily-“with a Mr. Erlach in Währing,” 18 
while son Franz had his own workshop: “[...] he is now working for himself 
and already has two journeymen, he makes inlaid table tops [,..].” 19 In 
light of this, the partnership agreement from 1 November 1853 is inter- 
esting. It says: “In addition, each partner has to participate equally, as 
necessary and as far as possible, in the exercise of the privilege and the 
Operation of the manufactory set up for this purpose and no one is allowed 
to have a second business which is detrimental to the corporate enter- 
prise.” 20 The latter Provision may possibly be seen as an indication of the 
earlier independent activities of some of the brothers; in any case, one 
wanted to prevent such activities from happening in the future. 21 
In 1850, Michael Thonet presented the chair model No. 4 in the Lower 
Austrian Trade Association. The belief hitherto held in literature that Anna 
Daum’s Cafe was the first public establishment to be furnished with bent- 
wood furniture is false. From a letter written by Michael Thonet Jr. to his 
15 A comprehensive presentation of the re-furnishing of the Palais Liechtenstein can be found in 
Michael Huey, Peter Hubert Desvignes und die Neo-Rokoko-Gestaltung des Stadtpalais 
Liechtenstein 1837-1849, Vienna 1999. 
16 The model for the Schwarzenberg chairs was the visible-wood “snake chair,” in which the rear leg 
and backrest are already carried out in a single line. The prove that this model was the last one made 
for Liechtenstein is confirmed by the fact that it was manufactured until at least the end of 1857. 
In a letter from Joseph Thonet to the brothers on 21 December 1857 it is stated: “The mahogany 
chairs for Liechtenstein would be very beautiful if they were already finished [...].” 
17 The earliest stamp found on Thonet's seating furniture refers to this address: “Thonet Wien Gump. 
396.“ Whether it was used as early as 1849, however, is rather questionable. The year 1852 seems 
more likely. Cf. Wolfgang Thillmann, Perfektes Design Thonet Nr. 14, Bielefeld 2015, 27 
18 Cf. Letter from Michael Thonet Jr. to his friend Jakob Henrich in Boppard from 15.8.1851, quoted 
from: Ulrich Löber, “Jakob Henrich, Schreinermeister aus Boppard," in: Exhib. Cat. Koblenz 1996 
(see note. 1), 35-49: 40. 
19 lbid.,41. 
20 Partnership agreement from 1.11.1853; Copy from Archiv Thillmann. 
21 Also in the supplementary article of 31 January 1862 to this partnership agreement-Jakob Thonet is 
now an equal partner because of his age of majority-it is expressly stated once again that “none of 
the partners shall be entitled to conduct any secondary business on their own account." Ibid. 
31