Gerald Summers Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Gerald Summers, one of the pioneers in the design and production of functional furniture, founded the "Makers of Simple Furniture Ltd." in 1929. The goal of this company was to produce practical furniture in a modern style. Read the full biography

Gerald Summers, one of the pioneers in the design and production of functional furniture, founded the "Makers of Simple Furniture Ltd." in 1929. The goal of this company was to produce practical furniture in a modern style. In 1933, P. Morton Shand, editor of Architectural Review, organized a small exhibition at the Fortnum & Mason department store in London to showcase Alvar Aalto's furniture. This exposure was well received and had a significant influence. It was evident that the modern use of bentwood suited British taste by offering an alternative to the coldness of metal furniture that was popular among modernist circles of the time. In 1943, Summers created a stunning chair made from a single sheet of curved plywood, unlike Aalto's chairs. This unique shape, which develops in a continuous and rounded manner, gives a streamlined and streamlined effect, underlined by elements that could later be defined as "organic" or "biomorphic". Only 120 of these chairs were produced by Summers, and today they are considered rare and coveted collector's items. Due to restrictions imposed by the British government on the importation of plywood, Makers of Simple Furniture Ltd. closed in 1939. Following this experience, Gerald Summers abandoned furniture manufacturing and opened a factory producing bearings ball.