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Visiteur Kangourou armchair, 1948

Visiteur Kangourou FV 32 armchair, 1948.

Visiteur Kangourou FV 32 armchair, 1948. © Galerie Patrick Seguin.

“Visiteur FV 32 armchair with adjustable back”. Ateliers Jean Prouvé drawing no. 11.186, 2 November 1948, by J. Boutemain.

“Visiteur FV 32 armchair with adjustable back”. Ateliers Jean Prouvé drawing no. 11.186, 2 November 1948, by J. Boutemain. © Fonds des Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Visiteur armchair, Kangourou armchair. Sketch by Jean Prouvé for his classes at CNAM, Paris, 1957–1971.

Visiteur armchair, Kangourou armchair. Sketch by Jean Prouvé for his classes at CNAM, Paris, 1957–1971. © Centre Pompidou, donation famille Prouvé.

Visiteur Kangourou FV 22 armchair, 1948.

Visiteur Kangourou FV 22 armchair, 1948. © Galerie Patrick Seguin.

Visiteur Kangourou FV 22 armchair, 1948.

Visiteur Kangourou FV 22 armchair, 1948. © Galerie Patrick Seguin.

Advertising brochure <i>Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Mobilier métallique, métal et bois</i>, Paris, printed by L’Électrographie industrielle, 1949.

Advertising brochure Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Mobilier métallique, métal et bois, Paris, printed by L’Électrographie industrielle, 1949. © Collection privée.

Visiteur Kangourou armchair, 1948

These two variants—adjustable or fixed—on the Visiteur armchair were created late in 1948, at the same time as an update of
the FV 12. The distinction between the FV 22 and the FV 32 is the adjustment mechanism, which required a different mounting of the wooden side members. In both cases the vertical side member had a bulge at the meeting point of the tubes of the front legs and the tube of the crosspiece behind the backrest. The components were the same as for the Visiteur FV 12 and FV 13 armchairs, with similar variants: the profile of the side members; the seat (wood slats, plywood, sheet steel or aluminum either smooth or with stamped grooves); the foot protectors (wood balls or metal washers); the shape of the armrests (standard or with a bulge); and the introduction of aluminum components (a version of the FV 22 using aluminum tubing was made). Very few of these models were produced: apart from an advertising picture of 1949, they never appeared in the price lists or catalogs. The Kangourou appellation dates from March 1951 when the FV 22 model was updated (shown in the Coque house at the Salon des arts ménagers home show the same year). A two-seater variant of both models was made, probably to meet specific orders