Thonet, Michael

(born July 2, 1796, Boppard, Trier —died March 3, 1871, Vienna, Austria) German Austrian pioneer in the industrialization of furniture manufacture. He developed a system of steam-bent veneers c. 1830 and created light, curvilinear chairs. By 1856 he had perfected the bending of solid beechwood with heat and began mass production of bentwood furniture. He set up factories in Hungary and Moravia and opened salons from Moscow to Chicago. By 1870 he was producing furniture in hitherto unheard-of quantities. His furniture is still being manufactured today.

Find more information on Thonet, Michael. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Thonet, Michael.