Warren McArthur (1885–1961)
American industrial and furniture designer, specialized in aluminum tubular
furniture during the 1930s.
In the late 1920s, McArthur started his career as an industrial designer,
creating furniture for the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, designed by his brother
Albert Chase McArthur.
After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Arizona Biltmore failed, leading
McArthur to move to Los Angeles, California, to establish a furniture
fabrication company.
In the early 1930s, aluminum gained popularity as an industrial design
material, and McArthur became a specialist in designing and crafting aluminum
tubular furniture, including chairs, tables, sofas, lamps, and ashtrays.
McArthur received commissions from notable architects, including Paul R.
Williams, who commissioned 30 pieces of aluminum furniture for the Cord
family. He also created aluminum furniture for Rudolph Schindler's design for
Sardi's restaurant in Los Angeles.
McArthur's aluminum furniture became popular among Hollywood stars and
producers of the 1930s, with clients such as Jack L. Warner, Marlene
Dietrich, Fredric March, and Clark Gable.
In 1932, McArthur established the Warren McArthur Corp. in Rome, New York, and
set up a sales office and showroom in New York City at 1 Park Avenue in 1933.
McArthur's success grew, and his furniture adorned sophisticated homes,
stores, and offices nationwide. His commissions included projects for Union
Pacific Railroad cars, Cunard passenger waiting lounges, Chrysler executive
offices, and Marshall Field's department store hair salons.
In 1934, Warren McArthur's furniture was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum
of Art's Exhibition of Contemporary American Industrial Art.
In 1937, the Warren McArthur Corp. purchased a 40,000 square feet factory in
Bantam, Connecticut. In 1940, the Virginia State Library acquired McArthur
aluminum furniture for its new art deco building (currently the Patrick Henry
Building). The furniture remained there until the library moved to a new
location in 1997.
In 1941, McArthur designed furniture for the SS Milwaukee Clipper, which still
contains the original McArthur furniture.