Bend It Like Breuer: Modern Plywood Design of the 30s and 40s

A deep dive into modern furniture design traces how bent plywood became a defining material of the 1930s and 1940s, bridging artistry, engineering, and everyday use.

Curator James Zemaitis explores the rise of bent plywood through the work of influential designers including Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto, with a particular focus on British plywood innovation. The talk follows Breuer’s career from his collaborations with Isokon in London to his later projects in the United States, while also examining the contributions of Charles and Ray Eames and early innovators such as Herbert Von Thaden. Together, these designers helped reshape modern furniture on both sides of the Atlantic through experimentation, efficiency and new production techniques.

Presented in partnership with the Miami Design Preservation League, this program takes place on Saturday, January 10 at The Wolfsonian-FIU on Miami Beach as part of Art Deco Weekend.