As folding chairs became a common form of seating, their forms and manufacturing processes diversified. Because folding chairs no longer carried the same symbolism of power and prestige, new functions and designs emerged. By the late 19th century, folding chairs were a design tool for utilitarians, resulting in various forms and uses. Folding chairs have a long history of military use. They needed a straightforward, compact appearance and robust durability. Once they began to showcase aesthetics, they gained recognition. However, they were never designed to be beautiful.
The name "Faldestoel" for the Napoleon chair comes from the Old French "faldestoel," rooted in the Latin "faldistorium." Historically, the naming of folding chairs carried connotations of dignity and nobility, and the Napoleon chair "Faldestoel" has always been a name for a superior's chair. Thousands of patents worldwide exist for novel ideas related to folding chairs (stools). Designers, inventors, and ordinary craftsmen all poured their energy into chair design, paying close attention to folding, adjustment, and comfort. However, not all mass-produced chairs incorporated sophisticated design.
Folding and portable products proliferated, with industry producing the smallest and lightest components to construct folding furniture, adaptable to various weather conditions. Folding chairs are ubiquitous, found at campsites, beach retreats, and sporting events-a chair that suits all habits and needs. They are used in school desks and chairs, and in cinemas and theaters… The primary goal of creating a basic chair was to provide a brief respite, easily foldable (and stored). Folding chairs have become an indispensable part of furniture.
The most modern folding chairs were designed after extensive social surveys and technical discussions: following industrial visualization (thonet) and the theories of the German Bauhaus, folding chair design flourished between 1965 and 1975.
