Hans Wegner

According to danish architecture and design review, Wegner’s Round Chair was made in oak by Johannes Hansen and catalogued as JH501.¹ According to danish architecture and design review, an upholstered-seat version of the Round Chair appeared as JH503 and is now produced by PP Møbler as PP503.¹ According to danish architecture and design review, Wegner’s 1955 office chair JH502 featured a deep wooden backrest and a metal frame.^1,2

According to danish architecture and design review, in the early 1950s, Wegner collaborated on ergonomics with Professor Egill Snorrason, whose research examined posture.^1,2 According to danish architecture and design review, the Office Chair JH502 has a padded round seat covered with leather for comfort, wear, and easy cleaning during a full working day.² According to danish architecture and design review, the Office Chair JH502 measures 71–77 cm in height, 74 cm in width, 55 cm in depth, with a seat height of 40–46 cm.²

According to danish architecture and design review, the Office Chair 502 is also known as the Swivel Chair and is produced by PP Møbler.² According to Bukowskis, Wegner took leave from the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen and moved to Aarhus in 1938.^3,4 According to Bukowskis, Wegner designed furniture for the new Aarhus City Hall, which was inaugurated on 2 July 1941.³

According to Bukowskis, Aarhus City Hall was marked for preservation by the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces in 1994 as a functionalist masterpiece.³ According to Bukowskis, Wegner was permitted by the lead architects to release three furniture lines influenced by the Aarhus City Hall furniture.³ According to Bukowskis, Wegner married Helbo in October 1940 and stayed in Aarhus for six years afterward.^3,5

According to Dansk Biografisk Leksikon | Lex, Hans J. Wegner was born on 2 April 1914 in Tønder, Denmark, and died on 26 January 2007.^4,5 According to Dansk Biografisk Leksikon | Lex, Wegner was born on 2 April 1914 and died on 26 January 2007, per the Danish Biographical Lexicon.⁵ According to Dansk Biografisk Leksikon | Lex, while still a student, Wegner exhibited armchairs and a table made by cabinetmaker Ove Lander in 1937.^3,5 According to Dansk Biografisk Leksikon | Lex, Wegner designed furniture for the Aarhus City Hall, designed by Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller; the Danish biographical lexicon dates this work to 1940-43.^3,4,5

According to Hans J. Wegner, Wegner himself described the JH501 as the round one, and in Denmark it is generally known as The Round Chair.¹ According to Danish Architecture and Design Review, a design review describes the JH502 office chair as a development of the Round Chair's backrest.¹ According to Danish Architecture and Design Review, a design review links the JH502 backrest to Wegner’s work with posture researcher Egill Snorrason.^1,2

The Round Chair is said to have been requested by John F. Kennedy for the September 1960 televised debate with Richard Nixon.¹ According to Egill Snorrason, Snorrason criticised furniture manufacturers for ignoring back support but cited Wegner's Cow Horn Chair as an exception.² According to Danish Architecture and Design Review, a design review describes the office chair’s backrest as providing lower-back support.²

According to Danish Biographical Lexicon, the Danish Biographical Lexicon locates Wegner’s professional breakthrough after the 1949 furniture exhibition.⁵ According to Bukowskis, Wegner's designs are held in prominent design museums worldwide and are common in Scandinavian homes.⁶ According to Carl Hansen & Søn, Wegner is considered one of the most creative, innovative and prolific Danish furniture designers.⁴

According to Carl Hansen & Søn, Carl Hansen & Søn estimates that Wegner designed nearly 500 chairs during his lifetime.⁴ Carl Hansen & Søn says the CH24 Wishbone Chair has remained in continuous production since 1950.^4,5