Gispen 414

Sprung-steel armchair without back legs. One-piece frame of hand-shaped, chromed steel tubing with Bakelite armrests. Fixed covering on back and seat.
The Gispen 414 is what is known as a "ladies' armchair". Without a loose seat cushion, the fixed upholstery gives the model a compact appearance, which is emphasised by the slender 22 mm cross-section tubing. As far as we can ascertain, the Gispen 414 was in production for more than twenty-five years from 1935, without any significant modifications. Numerous special versions were made to order, however. In 1940, for example, Leiden's Female Students' Association commissioned a number of chairs with a frame finished in tombac and white Gisoliet (urea) armrests, as a gift for the then Princess Juliana.