Wednesday, December 20, 2017

We used to make things in this country. #280 Institutional furniture



Just one of the most boring, sturdy pieces of institutional furniture ever made, in this case by a company that was located in Galt, Smiths Falls, Ontario and St Jean, Qc. 
Not much info on the Royalmetal company online, it seems the trademark was applied for in 1968 and let lapse in 1986. An obituary or two notes that an ex-employee took voluntary early retirement from the company in 1986, so it would seem that was the end of the line. 
   Galt was amalgamated with the towns of Preston and Hespeler to form Cambridge in 1973 so this chair was probably manufactured between 1968 and 1973... still in regular rough office use, the paint finish is standing up pretty well and it does not appear to have been recovered. The company name and reputation only lives on products like these, still perfectly serviceable 45- 50 years after being made. 


3 comments:

  1. Thanks! Took a little digging but- more info!

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  2. I too found an industrial swivel metal chair with the same company name on it in excellent condition. Too bad they don’t make this stuff here anymore.

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