A BRIEF HISTORY OF

A brief history of... The Acapulco chair

This mid-century design classic looks as good today as it did when it first appeared in Acapulco, the playground of the rich and famous in the ’50s

Text Leanne Moore/Cave Bureau

Who designed the Acapulco chair? No one knows. While its origin is shrouded in mystery, the fact that it first emerged in Acapulco in the 1950s isn’t disputed.

Is anything else known about its

beginnings? Rumour has it that a French tourist was lounging on a rooftop on a hot afternoon. Finding the sweltering heat too much, he came up with the idea of making the most of the coastal breeze by creating a chair using the stringed construction of traditional Mayan hammocks. From this, it is said, the iconic Acapulco chair was born.

Why is it called the Acapulco chair?

Nobody knows for sure, but Mexican designer Cecilia Leon de la Barra claims that she gave the Acapulco chair its name.

What is Acapulco famous for, besides having a chair named after it?

Hollywood stars flocked to the fashionable spot on Mexico’s Pacific coast to soak up the sun and party in the ’50s. Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley are rumoured to have enjoyed some R&R there, not necessarily at the same time. In its prime, John Wayne owned a hotel in Acapulco, Liz Taylor married her third husband there in 1957, and it was the honeymoon destination for Jackie and John F. Kennedy. Is the chair comfortable? Surprisingly so for a chair made of plastic strips wrapped around a metal frame.

When did its popularity spread around

the world? By the end of the 20th century the chair had faded into obscurity, then in 2008, the Cajas en Transito, which travelled through Europe via Madrid, Paris, London and Copenhagen, put Mexican design on the map. The chair was part of that exhibition and sparked a resurgence in its popularity.

So, the Acapulco chairs from the ’50s

are the originals? Legally speaking, there can be no original Acapulco chair. As its designer is unknown, no official manufacturing licence is required.

Does that make it easy to manufacture

the chair? Yes, retailers around the world are making and selling various versions. Is there a standard shape and size? They vary slightly, but all Acapulco chairs have three legs and the seat has an egg-shaped circumference. The height of the armchair is between 80cm and 1m. Are there any originals still around? Yes, but they are rare and priced accordingly. As well as being expensive, many of the steel frames have rusted after being exposed to Acapulco’s coastal conditions.

Will the modern versions rust?

Nowadays, the frames are made from commercial-grade aluminium, usually powder-coated to prevent rusting. Where can I get hold of one? Bunnings sells them.

Marquee Black Acapulco chair, $48.90, from Bunnings Warehouse.