Complete newbie here - can anyone tell me about these chairs?!

Hi everyone, first timer here. I bought these chairs for $10 at a garage sale (in Australia), mainly because they were cheap and we had no furniture, having just arrived back in the country. Now I've just got around to start sanding them and getting more and more curious. Does anyone know how old they might be? What style?

Thanks in advance!

 

Or what kind of wood they might be? They're not heavy.

Lighter patch in centre of the seat is due to me sanding off a large patch of old spilled paint.

 

Hi and Welcome to Antiquers, @Katiegirl81!!! I can't, but will tag @verybrad, who probably can tell you, as well as others who can.....give it some time!! While you're waiting, if you go back in Edit, and click on the very TOP image of each of your two posts, your images will show up FULL SIZE, instead of thumbnails!!! THANKS!!! Much easier for all to see!

 

I think they are a 1980s-90s version of a Thonet type chair.Possibly for a restaurant. For $10 bucks you got a set of great looking chairs that will last a lifetime.

 

Katiegirl, could you do me a favor and measure with a yardstick the following:

Height of seat from the floor

Height of back of chair from the seat

Height of top of armrest from seat

I'm looking forward to seeing the measurements for the chairs.

 

Note to Johnnycb09 -- I was thinking perhaps chairs in a "waiting room" of a physician, dentist, etc.

 

Hello yourturntoloveit,

Height of seat from the floor: 46.4cm

Height of back of chair from the seat: 32.8cm

Height of top of armrest from seat: 25.8cm

 

Just did an image search of Thonet chairs, and found it! Does this mean it's probably a copy of an old original?

 

Thank you, Katiegirl, for the measurements.

 

Having the measurements satisfied my curiosity about the chair(s).

 

i've sat in those chairs in bars and diners across the country..

 

Knock off of a classic early 20th century café chair. Many were made in Eastern block countries in the 80s and 90s. We used to sell them for about $25.00 then. Obviously still being made. Price in that ad above seems outlandish to me.

 

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

As Brad said, many were made at a later date in Eastern Block countries. But to be fair, that is also where many were made in the first place.
From 1856 Thonet opened several furniture factories in Moravia, now eastern Czechia. The region was known for the beautiful beech forests, and beechwood was used for the famous bentwood furniture.
In the 1860s and 70s they also opened factories in Hungary. Both Hungary and Moravia were part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, so regarded as part of the same country as Austria.

We have an antique Hungarian made Thonet rocking chair nr 1. It came to the Netherlands with a Hungarian girl who was sent here to be nursed back to health after the devastations of WWI.
She had lost her family and her home, the chair had survived (maybe on the porch?). It was all she had, and she took it with her wherever she went.
The girl stayed in the Netherlands, married, and had children. Years later she became my husband's first MIL. She gave him her treasured chair, because she was so fond of him.

So have I. Just a different country.

 

Hi Katiegirl! Welcome to Antiquers!

 

Welcome!