Tubular steel is hollow steel tube, bent and welded to form lightweight, strong frames for furniture and lighting. It became one of the defining materials of Modernist design in the 1920s and 1930s, valued for its clean lines, durability and associations with industry and machine production.
The Hungarian-born designer Marcel Breuer is credited with pioneering tubular steel furniture at the Bauhaus in the mid-1920s, with his club chair later known as the Wassily. The cantilevered chair, which has no back legs, was developed by designers including Mart Stam, Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Thonet became a major manufacturer of tubular steel pieces. In Britain, firms such as PEL produced tubular steel chairs and tables for offices, cinemas, hotels and modern homes during the 1930s. Frames were usually chromed or nickel-plated, though painted versions were also common. Collectors look for designs by named architects, early production with original plating, makers' labels and period leather, canvas or cane seating. Pitted chrome, rust and replaced upholstery reduce value. Classic tubular steel designs remain in production, so attribution and dating are important when buying vintage pieces.
