Appleton Book Club: “Now I Sit Me Down”

The Appleton Museum of Art’s virtual book club meets once a month on Zoom to discuss works of nonfiction that have been hand selected by Appleton staff. The April meeting will discuss “Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History” by Witold Rybczynski.

Led by Museum Educator Hollis Mutch, the book club is open to everyone. Participation is free and easy! Buy or borrow the book and read at your own pace. Register for the Appleton Book Club meeting here on Eventbrite. Login details for the Zoom session will be sent in your confirmation email.

About this book: Distinguished architect and writer Witold Rybczynski chronicles the history of the chair from the folding stools of pharaonic Egypt to the ubiquitous stackable monobloc chairs of today. He tells the stories of the inventor of the bentwood chair, Michael Thonet, and of the creators of the first molded-plywood chair, Charles and Ray Eames. He reveals the history of chairs to be a social history–of different ways of sitting, of changing manners and attitudes, and of varying tastes. Rybczynski weaves a rich tapestry that draws on art and design history, personal experience, and historical accounts. And he pairs these stories with his own delightful hand-drawn illustrations.