Mass production

The first factory was founded in Corycany/Moravia in 1856. After a short while, the wooded area, which had been the reason for the geographical choice of the first factory, could no longer keep pace with the large beech wood demand. Wood had therefore also to be delivered from other regions. The Thonets entered into a long-term contract for the supply of wood with the owner of the Bystrice estate, Ernst Freiherr von Laudon. At first, this move was made to ensure sufficient wood supply to the Corycany factory, but due to the ever-rising demand for their products, the Thonets decided to build a second factory in Bystrice. Work on the foundations started as early as May 1860. Together with his wife Anna, Michael Thonet traveled to Bystrice to lead and supervise the works.

The shops were doing very good business, and despite tremendous efforts, the supply could not keep pace with the enormous growth of demand for bent-wood furniture. The Thonets therefore decided shortly after the construction of the Bystrce factory to acquire another estate. In the early summer of 1865, Michael and August traveled to Nagy-Ugrócz - today Slowakia - to negotiate the acquisition conditions with count Stefan Keglevich.

From 1867 onwards, wood was also supplied by the Wsetin estate. The steam powered saw machines were leased in Hallenkau. Thanks to the creation of a lathe workshop and bending workshop over the following years, Hallenkau gradually became „an independent factory for the delivery of raw material to the Moravian factories“

Chair no. 14 - first produced in 1859 - is an even more simplified version of model no. 8, which was produced from 1856 onwards. Unlike chair no. 8, no. 14 has a circular seat frame and no capitals. It is made of only five parts connected by screws. The first models were delivered without leg rings, but due to considerable durability problems and the resulting customer complaints, soon only models with leg rings were produced. Further simplification of the chair’s design or technique was not possible. The first models of no. 14 were entirely made of solid wood. For the first time, the seat frame was circular but still comprising three massive bent strips, each about 12mm thick. They were not bent in one procedure but each of the three separately and then glued to a complete seat frame. Seat frames made out of only one part and bent in only one procedure were first offered in the beginning of the 1860s.

Model No. 18 - see above right - has, as well as the successful No. 14, the circular seatframe and was used primarily for public spaces. First produced in 1876, in this year already more than 35,000 pieces have been sold.

Chair No. 56 was offered from 1885. While with the models of the classic series for the production of the back legs and the backrest needed about a 2.20 meters long, knot-free wood rod, here one needs only rods of about 90 centimeters. Models 56, 18 and 14 were the most successful chairs of the firm.