Re[2]: GG: The Chair

[mwilliamson@alston.com]

        I think the problem is that Gould admirers constitute a 
        relatively small part of the population, and the number of 
        people who would plunk down money for such a chair is a tiny 
        fraction of that.  So I do not think it would be economically 
        feasible.
        
        But in theory, if this was a widely manufactured item, one could 
        be had.  If the original can be viewed and has the 
        manufacturer's stamp and the manufacturer is still in business, 
        that would just about solve the problem.  Otherwise, it would be 
        tougher, but still possible . . .  The manufacturer would 
        initially tell you the item is unavailable but for some good 
        publicity would probably give up one it is keeping for itself.

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: GG: The Chair
Author:  <kimmoor@mindspring.com (Kristen Immoor)> at internet
Date:    2/12/97 7:50 PM


At 4:50 PM 2/9/97, RIchard F. Makse wrote:
>How does anybody feel about this? Could we collectively commission a 
>limited reproduction series? I know this is whack but I am sure that there 
>are a few smiles out there from those who don't think it's a bad idea...
     
        That is definitely the most patently absurd thing I have ever
heard, and I am wholeheartedly in favor of it. Why not, after all! I'm sure 
GG is spinning in his grave at the concept (let's not make this a thread, 
though) because of how he reportedly hated celebrity and fawning toadies 
and whatnot, but in a way the complete uselessness of the item increases 
its kitsch value. I mean really, what would ANY of us do with a 14-inch 
chair? Still, it is interesting, and well worth a casual inquiry to 
specialty shops.
        From the early 30's to mid 50's I imagine it would have been easier
to do a simple series of chair knockoffs, because the card-table sets that 
featured The Chair's unique folding design were still widely available (my 
grandparents had in their basement what I believe was the exact same set, 
and my mother used to build a fort out of the table when she was a girl) and 
the chairs would have only needed moderate handwork to recreate the 
screw-clamp fixtures on the shortened legs. Now, however, the folding 
mechanism is completely different, much more streamlined and lightweight; so 
I imagine that a complete replica would need to be built from scratch unless 
a few sets of the old chairs could be found in vintage shops. Of course, 
commerce being what it is, if there was enough demand I am sure someone 
would undertake the task - though the price range would unquestionably soar. 
Here's a thought; according to Kazdin, the execs at CBS had an exact replica 
of The Chair built for GG in an attempt to get him to "upgrade" to something 
quieter and less visually assaulting. He didn't go for it, but *someone* had 
to have built it for him. I wonder who?
    _[   (symbol for egregiously stunted chair?) Kristen
     
     
______________________________________________________________________________
     
Elyse Mach: "But do you think that if Beethoven came back to life he'd go 
along with these notions of motif and tempo?"
Glenn Gould: "I don't really know, nor do I very much care..."