Vintage René Gabriel "Les sinistrés" sideboard chest of drawers

René Gabriel's sideboard "The Victims" Reconstruction period 1945/1950 Dimensions: 154 X 46 Height: 96 cm Publisher E. Jacquemin Schiltigheim 1812 E. JACQUEMIN According to historical works, the E. Jacquemin furniture factory was founded in Strasbourg in 1812 by Louis-César Jacquemin, before being transferred by his grandson Charles-Emile Jacquemin (1845-1925) to Schiltigheim in 1894. The factory was enlarged in 1909, according to the plans of the Strasbourg architects Berninger and Krafft. These sons and grandsons continued the activity until 1985. All the buildings were demolished in 1988, and a building built in its place. René Gabriel In 1944, for his knowledge of industrial methods for producing economical furniture, René Gabriel was appointed by the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Planning and created emergency furniture sold to disaster victims at a symbolic price (then in ration tickets). Subsequently, his reputation in mass production gave him a decisive position. He was elected president of the Society of Decorative Artists from 1945. He led a teaching workshop at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in 1946. He collaborated with Jean Fressinet for the Salon des arts ménages in 1948 (mass-produced furniture section). The choice of a robust and relatively common material (waxed oak) and his construction technique based on the prefabrication of elements and a robust and visible structure is reminiscent of the architectural design of the time. Auguste Perret called on him in 1947 to carry out the layout of the typical apartment in Le Havre. Today, all of the furniture from the 150 series intended for disaster victims is preserved and presented to the public at the temporary housing complex in Soye near Lorient.