Posted 13 years ago
SissyDec11
(1 item)
I wish I had a lot to say about these Helikon chairs, but I don't really know much. I know I love them! I only know they're "Helikon" because of the tag on the underside & they were listed as "Helikon Arm Chairs" when I "bought" them. (I actually traded for them.)
I don't know anything about Helikon as a company or about the age of these chairs. I wish I knew more!
These chairs have a cool shape & are very well constructed. They're SUPER comfortable.
Does anyone know anything about Helikon or about these chairs?
Hi, Helikon was in operation in eastern Connecticut for many years and closed down about 10 years ago. They produced some of the finest office furniture made. It was shipped throughout the world with much going to Kuwait and Saudi.
Hi, I know this is somewhat dated, but yes I know something about these chairs and Helikon.
My dad designed these chairs and was THE designer at Helikon. Helikon was a top of the line case goods manufacturer similar to Steelcase which is still around. They had a factory in Norwich, Ct. and are no longer in business.
My dad was an amazing artist, sculptor, and designer who had had multiple Fulbrite scholarships to Europe, a one man show in NYC before he was out of high school, and had a couple of sculptures installed for American Airlines at Kennedy Int'l Airport when it was called Idlewild back in the 50's/60's.
But alas he couldn't make a living doing art and sculpture and took a job, and became part owner of Helikon designing furniture. They furnished executive offices for Fortune 500 companies like Pepsi.
If I were to characterize his style I'd say it was elegant yet simple with clean lines. "fussy" was not his style.
He was not a promoter and the design of office furniture was never appreciated except by people within the industry. And so but for a lucky few who happened to end up and appreciate his pieces, he went quietly into the night.
A sweet man with impeccable design sensibilities who in this day and age probably would have had a "brand" even in spite of himself.
Thanks for bringing back the memories and enjoy your furniture if you still have it.
Ohh, and as you can see the promotion (or lack thereof) runs in the family...my dad's name was Robert Benham Becker. He always used his middle name though I never knew why. He went by Bob.
Hello Peter. I worked at Helikon from 1979-1991 and again from 1999-2005. I remember Bob Becker well. His most successful design was called the Tafville Series and sold quite well for over 25 years. I enjoy working at Helikon for many years. I seem to recall your father's passing but not 100% sure? I seem to recall that he cared for his wife during her illness. A fine gentleman for sure.
Hi, and you have a good memory. Yes he did pass away in 2001. And he had been taking care of my mom who had Alzheimer's. She passed away the following year.
I don't think you could find a person that had anything ill to say about him, he was a fine man for sure. Thank you.
It's funny I wasn't expecting to hear anything back nevermind someone who worked at Helikon and knew my dad.
We have a couple of his chairs that he referred to as his paperclip chairs that still had the original leather on that we were looking at reupholstering. I was looking at them closely and telling my wife that the tubing on them was stainless steel, not chrome plated, which is why they never rusted. Surely nothing that a company would use today for a chair like this.
Anyway, it got us curious as to whether any of his stuff was showing up anywhere on the internet and what it was going for. That I got your response is really something and I'll be mentioning to my brothers as I'm sure they'll be amazed.
BTW - I still have the Helikon catalogs up in the attic. Though it seems silly. I just can't seem to part with them.
Peter
Hello again. Coincidently I still live in CT and actually travel by the old Helikon Factory building a few times a week. It is being converted into apartments. I often see Helikon Furniture products show up on EBay with mostly being sold in Texas as Enron was a major account at the time and I think were addicted to Helikon Furniture. Again it was a life altering experience for me personally to have worked there. Yes the always used the best available materials such as stainless steel and brass that was polished rather than simply plated. All fond memories.
I'm not able to give this a proper reply right now (at an event), but I had to let you know I'm reading these replies and I still have the chairs, I love them, I don't regret for a second trading my $1200 set of 6 beautiful MCM dining chairs (which I thrifted for $30) and a hand built table my husband & I built to Salvage One (a big warehouse/big name in vintage furniture located in Chicago) for a second. I have kept these original except I've done maintenance. Furniture restoration/building is in my family so I have equipment & knowledge. I've had had Lupus & several other health conditions all my life which became significantly active at 18. They progress overtime & I'm 35 now--fairly old for someone with my issues--and my body can't build, upholster, etc like I used to. When I got these chairs however I was still able to professionally clean them. The building they were kept in had covered them in a layer of dust, but that all came right off. There are no stains. I repaired the strapping underneath the chair just like it had been done originally using everything originally there & then adding some new strapping reinforcement.
One chair had more wear than the other, but with the maintenance I did, they look even unless you get up closez
The only tricky part in my mind is that the 1 chair that was worse than the other(which is pristine, no strap fixing needed, beautiful) has 2 small areas where the upholstery is a bit worn. One on the arm & one on the back. It's not hugely noticeable (not noticeable at all w/ a throw blanket-hahaha), but I've always struggled with whether to leave these original or to reupholster.
Through all these years I've gone leave them as is & I believe I'll continue that choice. (Unless you all have opinions....).
I loved the shape of these chairs. I know they're large & maybe not what everyone would choose for a home setting, but they are works of art. And unlike those $1200 MCM works of art dining chairs, they are comfortable!
Turning the chairs over & exploring them, I did notice the quality. I was able to kind of retrace the steps of the original builder in order to redo the strapping as it was originally done and then since then, I have always used that method. It takes a little longer & better materials, but it is the best way, produces the best results, & will last. The wood is of great quality! If the upholstery was removed, you could seal that wood & showcase these chairs like that--you NEVER see that on an upholstered piece. Usually cheap, ugly wood is used if it's going to be covered up. The curves are beautiful & must have tsken time & money. The upholstery is incredible and was absolutely deaigned and done by an artist. That is another reason I haven't reupholstered them. I recognize the artistry & skill. I'm definitely not at that level & to be honest, I don't know many or any pro upholsterers that are. The upholstery is as if it were painted on. Incredible.
I am so grateful for the stories and information you have shared. I'm a huge lover of the stories. Thank you! And anything else you feel up to posting, please share! If you want to email me directly my email is just my username at gmail dot com but posting here is fine too.
Peter, your father sounds like an amazing man. Are you anywhere near the Chicago area? I don't know--just had a thought that naybe these chairs are more meant to be yours than mine at some point.
And I know it sounds crazy & it is b/c I coukd sell them sure, but I would gift them to you. I'm not wealthy or anything, but these chairs are in our front room & they don't get used by anyone other than me. I have no shortage of chairs thiugh and maybe these were meant to find their eay back to you.
Either way, I'm very glad to be in contact with both of you. Thank you so much for writing & sharing. I knew nothing about these chairs & so little about Helikon. Salvage One only told me that they thought these were maybe some kind if prototyoe b/c at some point they were thinking about branching out in mto home furnituren. They said these chairs are "one offs."
Peter I wonder if the cataalogs have anything similar to these chairs in them?! If you ever get those out, I eould LOVE to see ssome pocs. Cell phone pics sre fine.
I'm glad to meet both of you. Thank you for your kindness & time & willingness to teach me about the chairs, the man behind them, & Helikon and its employees. What a great day! . :)
I'll get better pictures & get them posted.
Decnie (My name is pronounced Dec like December & nie like the body part knee)
This post became an actual Christmas miracle! Nice!
Hello Decnie, I can tell you these chairs were offered in the catalog and available as a chair, loveseat or a sofa. I seem to recall the group being named the Manchester series. Most all of the products were built to order and not shipped from inventory. There were many fabrics and leathers to choose from so rarely were the same items made. These products were normally used in a waiting or lounge area in an upscale office environment but certainly can be used in the home. Great stories.
OK, couldn't resist and visited the attic. I sent you a picture from the catalog as I couldn't figure out how to post it here.
I appreciate your thoughts about gifting them to me, but you should just do with them whatever you want to. The thought was gift enough.
What a crazy and unexpected surprise this all was. Let's hope it's a sign for the coming year. Something tells me we're going to need it.
Oh, and I'm in Newtown, CT. Yes, that Newtown/Sandy Hook.
Did you get the catalog picture I sent?
peterbiz
I represented Helikon three times over a 15 year period of time. Bob Becker was one of the finest men I ever worked with. Visited our firm in Miami for calls on the design community. We represented lines such as Helikon, Stendig, Brickel and other high-quality lines. Good memories dating back to 1968.
I don't recall his name (I will as soon as I post this, I'm sure), but the sales manager had dinner with my wife and I on the balcony of the David William Hotel in Coral Gables a few days before he died in his doctor's office after taking a stress test. Bob became our contact. I was fortunate enough to be in "the business" when giants changed the face of design in America, and to be friends with many of them.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I felt very lucky to have him as a father.
Hi Peter and everyone else.
It would be remarkable if this gets read - my dad Hy Fishbein also worked at Helikon. Peter, I remember your dad through my child's eye visiting the office. I hope you are all well.
Regards, Eric
Wow! Eric Fishbein’s comment above is really cool! How amazing Eric that you remember Bob Becker! The internet amazes me in the connections it makes. I’ve connected & learned so much & I LOVE the things I’ve learned about my pair of Helikon chairs. You all might think I’m crazy, but I actually printed what I learned about the chairs from this post, added the story of how I acquired them, put that in a plastic sheet & tacked it gently to the underside of each chair. I love the chairs & they are still with me. We didn’t use the room they were in 6 or so years ago when I got the chairs, but since then we’ve turned that room into a living area that we use for many things. The chairs became the center around which we created the rest of the room. ???? We spend time in the chairs being with family, reading, & playing or listening to music. My husband is a drummer and I play (played, but just have fun w/ now) the piano. But we use the chairs to play guitar. Lol. An instrument neither of us plays. Husband has been teaching himself & he’s decent. I’m not trying to learn at all, but just like fiddling w/ the guitar. I like to curl up in the chairs. They’re really cozy. We still have them now as of October 2019 & have no plans to let them go. ???? They have age on them, but really are in remarkable condition all things considered. I personally like that they don’t look a thing like anything I’ve seen today. And I like that they feel like they have decades of history to them.
I feel so grateful for this thread of comments. What wonderful people you all are. I hope others find this thread & add their thoughts too! But really, we’ve hit the jackpot w/ finding the most important people—Bob’s son & co workers & those who remember him & his work. Just simply amazing! What are the chances. I hope Bob Becker is up there smiling & gets some happiness out of how much we treasure his work. I hope he feels our admiration! I know I’ve had the chairs for many years now, but I still can’t go into that room without admiring them—their perfect curved lines! It’s just stellar design & craftsmanship! (& I haven’t and won’t reupholster them. They’re meant to be just as they are. And frankly, I haven’t seen any modern upholsterers that could replicate the way these are upholstered.)
Happy to revisit this thread. I really hope you all are well.
Best—Decnie “Sissy” Jeschke (SissyDec at gmail dot com)