To our friends and customers,
Today we’re excited to introduce the Russel Wright Collection.
Russel and Mary Wright were among the most influential American designers of the twentieth century. Their vision of modern American life was informal and practical, with a lasting place for natural materials and things made by hand. It’s a vision we share at Roseland.
In 1940, Russel chose Old Hickory furniture for his “Outdoor Living Room” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Soon after, he designed his own collection for Old Hickory, bringing modern forms to their traditional bent-hickory and woven-splint construction. More than eighty years later, we’ve worked with Manitoga, The Russel Wright Design Center, and Old Hickory to bring three of those designs back into production: the Arm Chair, Low Lounge Chair, and Chaise Lounge.
Each chair is made by hand at Old Hickory’s workshop in Indiana using techniques practiced for generations. The frames are solid hickory, steam-bent and shaped, with seats and backs woven by hand in rattan. What we particularly like is how directly the materials become the furniture: the bent hickory gives the chairs their shape, and the woven rattan forms the surfaces you sit against. They are finished with hand-rubbed tung oil and a small amount of natural burnt umber pigment.
We photographed the collection at Manitoga, the Wrights’ home and studio in Garrison, New York, now preserved as a center for his work and ideas. You can see photos below and view the collection here or at our office in New York. You can schedule an appointment to see them here.
We’re very grateful to everyone at Manitoga and Old Hickory who helped make this possible. It means a lot to us to be able to share a small part of Wright’s work with you.
Best,
Luke Sherwin
