Folding lawn chairs are a mainstay of American summertime – from beaches and tailgating parties to Fourth of July barbecues and beyond. As symbols of American dream and experiencing a revival thanks to one small company, folding lawn chairs have gained prominence as popular pieces of furniture. I set out to discover why.
The History of the Lawn Chair
Lawn chairs may seem retro, but they have long been an American classic. Their aluminum webbed style first gained widespread acceptance during World War II; later it would also come under influence of functional principles from early modernism and become a symbol of postwar America and suburban family values.
First-generation lawn chairs were constructed from one piece frames composed of tubular aluminum tubing – the same material used to construct airplane wings – but as production of lawn chairs rose dramatically during World War II, manufacturers sought new uses for this sturdy yet lightweight material. Manufacturers eventually discovered that narrow aluminum tubing could be folded into the shape of folding seats covered with tightly woven canvas webbing for an economical, practical and instantly popular chair solution.
Ed Warmack, who established what eventually became Lloyd Flanders, was ahead of his time. In 1949 he created an innovative three piece frame system which enabled more chairs to fit in a rail car for shipping purposes while strengthening and improving webbing for greater comfort and durability.
After World War II, Americans long to return to more traditional family life. Metal lawn chairs quickly became symbols of this trend – appearing on porches, front yards and backyard barbecues alike as welcome mats outside motel rooms and colorful escapes beside pools in vacation destinations across America. Unfortunately by the 1990s they had begun being replaced by nylon camping chairs with thin crisscrossed webbing that quickly frayed; that is until Gary Pokrandt of Lawn Chair USA decided to revive this classic design – his Florida workshop now housing an experienced team who produce these original American-made aluminum webbed chairs we all know and love today.
The Evolution of the Folding Lawn Chair
The classic lawn chair has become the quintessential icon of summertime, alongside cold beer and barbecue. Portable yet easy to store, lawn chairs have become beloved icons at beaches, tailgates and Fourth of July fireworks celebrations across America. But where did this iconic object originate and how has its popularity grown over time?
Frederic Arnold was a World War II veteran who created the modern folding lawn chair. His first design in 1947 was cruder and less sturdy than what exists today, drawing inspiration from utilitarian designs of early to mid century modernism. Furthermore, these chairs gained great popularity following postwar suburban development when lawns became more affordable for families living nearby.
Modern folding lawn chairs consist of 21 individual parts, but assembly is fairly straightforward. After cutting the aluminum tubing to length, seat back and bottom parts are sewn together using clipped-on synthetic webbing sewn with clippers. Once assembled, aluminum rivets – cheaper alternatives to screws – are used to secure it to its base, leaving enough tolerance between holes punch for rivets so the chair can be assembled or disassembled easily.
The remainder of this chair is constructed using stock steel tubing with holes drilled for aluminum rivets. Welded together, they are covered by webbing to cover any imperfections; with standard and heavy-duty rivet sizes providing plenty of seating capacity for people of various heights.
The Inventor of the Folding Lawn Chair
As porch swings lose their charm and outdoor rocking chairs become less appealing, the folding lawn chair has come into its own as the seat of choice for beach trips, tailgate parties, backyard barbecues and Fourth of July fireworks shows. Plus, its collapsible aluminum design makes them easy to transport while being stored away easily in garage or shed until next summer arrives!
Fredric Arnold pioneered Alclad, a lightweight aluminum material, during World War II and discovered how it could be bent into chair form. He applied for and received his patent in 1956 – marking the birth of American lawn chairs. Their popularity coincided with postwar suburban growth when homes with gardens became more accessible for sale.
The chair described in this patent is a combination of backpack frame and lawn chair, with legs pivoting to fold either under or at the back of the seat. An upper strap cross piece 16 features padding to distribute weight evenly across the chair as well as serve as attachment points for its pair of shoulder straps 15. Likewise, lower strap cross piece 17 includes padding to distribute its load and connect to waist belt 19.
A patented pocket secures all essentials, including cup holder and sun shade, so that this chair can be opened from any location. Its surprising sturdy construction also features an integrated footrest to make sitting comfortable for hours on end. Manufacturers continue using similar basic designs and materials today – aluminum frames feature oxidation for durability while multicolored polyethylene webbing gives it a retro aesthetic; Academy Sports + Outdoors Retro Lawn Chair (made of aluminum with brushed finish) supports up to 300 pounds!
The Inventor of the Tubular Lawn Chair
Lawn chairs have taken over as the Official Seat of Summer for good reason: their portability makes them far more desirable. That trend began thanks to WWII vet and inventor Fredric Arnold, who in 1947 created his own version of folding chair that adhered to stripped down utilitarian principles from early mid century modern movement and featured one piece aluminum frames that made it simple and sturdy enough for people to bring out into the yard for quick chats or picnics.
Arnold’s design, along with those by other aluminum folding chair makers such as Ed Warmack and Alvin Shott, quickly became all-the-rage. These new folding chairs introduced tubular lawn chairs – lightweight metal folding chairs that featured sleeker silhouettes more reflective of modernist aesthetic. Along with tubular aluminum frames, these new chairs included interwoven fabric webbing that also paid homage to this trend.
Manufacturers used narrow aluminum tubing from World War II airplane structural framing as raw material for making these chairs, drawing upon postwar patriotism as well as a need to find affordable outdoor lounge spaces. The rise of this chair trend was furthered by postwar patriotism as people sought an affordable outdoor spot.
Unfortunately by the late 1990s, webbed aluminum chairs had begun to decline in popularity–but not before being copied by cheap nylon camp chairs and rusty steel lawn chairs with thick webbing crisscrossing between. As a result, traditional aluminum lawn chairs slowly began disappearing until 2010 when Gary Pokrandt revived them through his Florida-based family company Lawn Chair USA.
The Inventor of the Modern Lawn Chair
War hero and aviator turned inventor Fredric Arnold invented the aluminum lawn chair in 1947. Drawing inspiration from utilitarian designs popular during early modern era, Arnold’s folding chairs used the same sturdy aluminum tubing used to assemble military aircraft as structural framing components, with interwoven fabric webbing added for strength reinforcement. These iconic American classics quickly became summer staples; being brought along to campouts, tailgates, beach barbecues and Fourth of July fireworks celebrations across America.
By the 1990s, however, the modern lawn chair began its decline. Competitors introduced camping chairs and beach chairs made with lightweight materials such as cheap webbing that frayed easily and steel frames which rusted. By 2000’s landfills had become filled with these cheap imitations while consumers lost sight of its traditional value as an aluminum webbed chair.
Gary Pokrandt and Andrew Pokrandt revitalized lawn chairs through Lawn Chair USA in 2010, which uses only high-quality American-made parts and fabricates its own aluminum pipe to craft its chairs. Lawn Chair USA produces classic aluminum webbed chairs “the way they were.” Additionally, Lawn Chair USA sells accessories like in-ground cupholders and replacement webbing to complete its services.
Lawn Chair USA’s small team of employees currently produces 500 chairs a day in their Florida workshop using machines they designed themselves and materials fabricated (excluding aluminum piping) by themselves – manufacturing in America being an underlying principle that allows them to create products their grandparents would be proud of.