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Charles Bernard
Airborne: the book

Charles Bernard was born in 1904 in Louhans in Bresse.

In 1926, at the end of his military obligations, he returned to Paris, very determined to launch into decoration after his meeting with Pol Pouchol, decorator and future ceramist whom he met during his military service.

Pol Pouchol hosted him and presented him to the management of Galeries Lafayette. He was immediately hired as an assistant where he learned the art of models, designer and colorist for the creation of objects and decoration orders for the store.

Airborne Book - The Modernists - Paris

Les designers
Prefacto Pierre Guariche
Pierre Guariche

Charles Bernard's personal qualities attract young talents to his company: his knowledge of manufacturing and his gifts for drawing allow him to mobilize creators, the first of whom is Pierre Guariche.

It was from 1952 that Airborne marketed the famous Prefacto program, the only industrial modular furniture of that era.

Pierre Guariche

Guariche program or Prefacto

FAUTEUIL AA
JB FENBY

In 1855, Joseph B. Fenby designed a wood and canvass folding chair: the Fenby chair which he registered in the United States in 1881. Manufactured by the American company “The Gold Medal Inc” from 1895, the chair became a big favourite with the military. It was light, had a removable cover, could be folded and easily carried. The manufacturing rights were sold to various European countries when shown at the Saint Louis Universal Exhibition in 1904. The British and Italian army used it in during military actions in Libya. Practical and very stable on sand, the chair became known as the “Tripolina Chair”. Since then, the chair has been made by many companies all the over world and in as many versions, either with leather or fabric covers.

Model registered in 1881 by J.B Fenby

Archives Airborne
Archives Airborne : Le fauteuil AA en 1973 dans le catalogue

Many passages are taken from the gallery book “Les modernistes”, written by Pierre Deligny onAirborne.

Thanks also to Daniel Bernard and his wife for their support and encouragement at the time of our takeover.

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