George Mulhauser, born in 1922, was known for his pioneering molded plywood designs and iconic lounge chairs. Graduating in 1953 from Pratt Institute with a degree in Industrial Design, Mulhauser quickly established himself as a staff designer in the early days of the newly formed George Nelson Studio. One of the first chairs that he designed for George Nelson was the iconic ‘Coconut Chair’. A long disagreement over the chair’s ownership ensued when Nelson filed for a patent on the chair in 1957 and left out Mulhauser’s name. Mulhauser objected this filing and in 1961 both names were added to the patent.
Mulhauser designed for many companies, most notably for Paul Mccobb, Design Institute of America, Directional, Singer, Overman, Stendig, and Plycraft. The second most iconic chair by Mulhauser, the Mr. Chair, was the first reclining lounge chair to be designed from a single sheet of molded plywood. The Mr. Chair was originally manufactured by Plycraft in Lawrence, MA and, after much success, later produced in Italy for the European market. The Mr. Chair series eventually became a brand that was marketed by Directional Industries in NY.
