Creators
Leah Honor, Marsha James and Lauren Restivo
Transcript
With growing populations, limited space, and rising rents, apartments in global cities are becoming smaller and smaller. And increasingly, an emerging trend in urban-dwelling is the use of multi-function furniture for space and money saving purposes. But the history of this mechanical furniture is one of royal origins. Mechanical furniture first appeared in the 18th-century as a way for nobility to keep their personal items hidden in secret compartments and drawers. But it quickly grew in popularity as a unique addition to the homes of the European upper class. Kings and queens filled their rooms with mechanical cabinetry that made drawers and mirrors appear by triggering hidden releases.
Perhaps the most famous of 18th-century European mechanical cabinetmakers is David Roentgen, who in 1780 was appointed master cabinetmaker to Marie Antoinette. Roentgen inherited his furniture shop in Neuwied, Germany from his father in 1772 and worked to expand the shop’s presence internationally. His style ranged from intricate Rococo carvings and marquetry to classical inlays of mahogany. Throughout his career, Roentgen continued to work with European royalty, including Catherine the Great of Russia and the Prussian king, Frederick William II.
The rise of the cast iron safe for the storage of valuables allowed Roentgen to shift the focus of his mechanical creations away from security and towards convenience and curiosity. He produced game tables with multiple inlaid boards on movable surfaces, and pop up compartments to house decks of cards and markers in card tables. Today his work is collected worldwide, by private individuals such as the British Royal Family and museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The shift in the purpose of mechanical furniture from security to convenience led to many innovations that we now consider common household items, such as murphy beds and foldaway tables. This allowed for comfort and convenience as people began to travel more extensively and live in smaller spaces.
Today, the secret compartments of Roentgen’s furniture have evolved into the space saving devices seen popping up in micro apartments across New York City. In these small spaces, staircases sometimes double as drawers, couches transform into full size beds, and entire home offices close up and fold neatly into the wall. It is because of the creative genius of historic mechanical ébénistes like Roentgen, that today we have such a myriad of space saving innovations in modern furniture.
Bibliography and Credits
Clerici, C. A. (n.d.). Exploring a furniture with secret hidden drawers. [Video file]. Retrieved from: http://vimeo.com/6993534
Croft, J. (2009, March 31). Ballard condo. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcroft/3402692539/in/set-72157616390731381/
Croft, J. (2009, March 31). Ballard condo – murphy bed table down. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcroft/3403500324/in/set-72157616390731381/
Croft, J. (2009, March 31). Ballard condo – murphy bed up. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcroft/3402688173/in/set-72157616390731381/
David Roentgen (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2013 from Encyclopedia Britannica:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506728/David-Roentgen
David Roentgen. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2013 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Roentgen
Fine, V. (1939). Sonatina for oboe and piano. [Audio file]. Retrieved from:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Sonatina_for_Oboe_and_Piano_(Fine,_Vivian)#IMSLP279646
Gobetz, W. (2006, September 18). NYC-UES: Metropolitan Museum of Art. [Photograph]. Retrieved From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/246896968/in/set-72157600284119907/
Gross, J. (2013, July 8). Consider the lofter. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://hyperallergic.com/75060/a-micro-apartment-of-ones-own/
Honor, L. (2013, October 18). Roentgen card table. [Photograph]. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Honor, L. (2013, October 18). Roentgen game table. [Photograph]. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Iskander, M. (2013, Septmeber 22). Living Micro: Single residents embrace tiny apartments. PBS Newshour. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/july-dec13/microapartment_09-22.html
Johnston, S. (2013, November 15). Micro apartments offer small slice of city living. U.S. News. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/11/15/micro-apartments-offer-small-slice-of-city-living
Koeppe, W. (2012). Extravagant inventions: The princely furniture of the Roentgens. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lady’s desk. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maurice-Bernard_Evalde_-_Lady%27s_Desk_-_Walters_6560_-_Three_Quarter_Left_View_B.jpg
Lang, F. (2007, February 25). Ansicht Neuweid 2. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ansicht_Neuwied_2.JPG
Mahogany bureau with a figure of Apollo. (n.d.). [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mahogany_bureau_with_a_figure_of_Apollo.jpg
Mozart, W.A. (1775). Violin concerto no. 3 in G major. [Audio file]. Retrieved from: http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_No.3_in_G_major,_K.216_(Mozart,_Wolfgang_Amadeus)
Phipps, J. (2006, March 18). Stair drawers. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14071670@N00/114269424/
Polygoon-Profilti. (1955, January 1). Impression of the trade fair for furniture and furnishing textiles in Utrecht with a lot of new things for furnishing. [Video file]. Retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beurs_voor_meubelen_en_woningtextiel_Weeknummer_55-08_-_Open_Beelden_-_61541.ogv
Portrait of David Roentgen aged about 45. (1785-90). [Portrait]. Retrieved from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/David_Roentgen.jpg
Tabetai, F. (2006, September 27). Fågelbo couch. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugutabetai/256042142/
Tabetai, F. (2006, September 27). Fågelbo couch. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugutabetai/256042702/
Vigee Le Brun, L.E. (1783). Marie-Antoinette with the rose. [Portrait]. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vigée-Lebrun_Marie_Antoinette_1783.jpg
miNYstories 