Thonet’s design of the Bentwood chair had an enormous influence of the course of furniture design. Thonet was born in Prussia in 1796,he trained as a cabinet maker, and he developed steam bending of laminate wood. In 1842 he was granted an international patent to protect his methods from imitation. Once softened through immersion in steam or boiling water, the wood could be moulded into almost any shape with the help of a press.