Design Behing the Iron Curtain: Furniture Industry Development in Post-war Czechoslovakia
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Czechoslovak furniture production after the Second World War was marked by fundamental changes in property relations and the overall reorganization of the furniture industry which was directed towards large-scale production, central management, and a common market. The manufacturing sector was divided into several categories. In 1954, an important research, development and methodological workplace called the Furniture Industry Development (Vývoj nábytkářského průmyslu) was established and in this new structure, it occupied a privileged position. Over the years, it dealt with various tasks throughout the furniture industry and had a significant influence on the history of design in Czechoslovakia. Among the most important tasks were experiments with new materials and the creation of the manufacturing programme for national enterprises that produced furniture in large series both for the domestic market and for export to various countries. Furniture designs by talented authors such as Jindřich Halabala were comparable to foreign production, but these were included in mainstream production rather sporadically. Nowadays, there are many dealers, companies and small craftsmen who resell and renovate furniture and home accessories made in the post-war decades. As part of the so-called retro trend, the demand is increasing, and post-war furniture is finding its way into modern interiors. However, the issue of Czechoslovak post-war furniture and housing culture has not yet been given sufficient attention in professional circles. This paper focuses on the current state of research and examines the history of the Furniture Industry Development in the context of the furniture industry and post-war housing culture. It describes fundamental furniture pieces produced in large series that became an integral part of not only Czechoslovak homes. Furthermore, it presents the intention to create a database containing images of designs and furniture pieces that originate from Furniture Industry Development as a way to systematically process and interconnect a large amount of information from different sources, analyse the obtained data, and also make them accessible to a wider audience. |
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