What could be better that an iconic Tulip chair by Maurice Burke? How about… FOUR of THEM!!! YES, PLEASE!!! This is a set of 4 FABULOUS Tulip armless or side chairs by Burke comprised of white fiberglass shells mounted on a white painted metal shaft with a four prong base and comfy attached seat pads wearing a beautiful black hopsacking fabric. They are made and labeled by Burke Inc. in the style of Saarinen’s famed tulip fiberglass shell chairs. Burke modeled their fiberglass chairs after Saarinen’s tulip chair and Eames fiberglass shell chairs as a more affordable option for the masses. But they made them with changes and enhancements that have made them become collectable in their own right. Kind of a second cousin of sorts with lots of style and sass. They are going to be phenomenal surrounding your breakfast nook or dining table but they would be great extra seating in your dining room, great room, family room, or rec room. And, whether you have a mid-century modern home, an industrial loft, a Modern setting, or any style in between… they will look fabulous anywhere you decide to use them.
Maurice Burke was born in the UK in 1921. He served in World war 2 with the Canadian Army and after in the early 1950’s he relocated his family to California where he settled in as a furniture salesman for Herman Miller and would go on to work for Felmore, a largely traditional wooden furniture business in 1952. That did not work out so he relocated his family to Dallas, Texas and began his own venture he called Burke Inc. Initially serving as manufacturer and designer for the first iteration of pedestal chairs. By 1959 Burke Inc. had a strong established itself as a progressive name in the furniture industry, however, success soon led to conflict with Knoll manufacturers of Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair eventually leading to court and a copyright infringement. They were forced to change the design, however, that would come to benefit Burke and his company with the redesigned “Star” collection some would argue was a better alternative to Knoll’s. For the next four years Burke Inc grew rapidly with showrooms in every major city in North America filled exclusively with their products selling both to private customers and commercial. Burke Inc. had a steady success until to the surprise of many Maurice Burke sold Burke Inc. to Brunswick. To those who knew him, Maurice Burke was known to never stay too long in one place. He took this as an opportunity to detach himself from the industry and relocated his family to the UK and later they settled in Switzerland. Mr. Burke passed away in 2013.
These are FANTASTIC chairs bearing an iconic reputation and a timeless style you are sure to love for years to come. Don’t let this set of 4 Tulip chairs by Burke pass you by…. Make them YOURS!!!
