The Congo produced by Artifort was designed by Theo Ruth in 1952. The design is beautiful for its simplicity. Ruth also designed a version with armrests, the Penguin. The inspiration for both models came to Theo Ruth during a trip to Africa where he was introduced to a typical African chair in which two separate parts are put together. We restored the model in the photo for the study centre of the Wood and Furnishing College in Rotterdam, where this model is exhibited together with the African original.
Theo Ruth
Theo Ruth can be considered the pioneer of Artifort's design tradition. He had trained as a furniture designer and interior designer at the Maastricht School of Arts and Crafts (later the Academy of Applied Arts). In 1936, Ruth joined Wagemans & Van Tuinen, first as a furniture maker, from 1939 as head of the design and development department.
Ruth is the first permanent designer of Artifort furniture. He made a name for himself with expert designs, especially of traditional furniture for the living room. His best-known chair is the Congo from 1952, which was a great sales success.
Ruth headed the design department until his death in 1971. Apart from his own designs, he played an important role in implementing the ideas of other designers at Artifort.
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