Robert Propst, Perch Chair, 1964. Chrome-plated steel, leather, latex foam, and cast aluminum; 40 1/4 × 21 3/4 × 28 1/4 in. Manufactured by Herman Miller, Zeeland, Michigan. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Elizabeth Torke Jones in memory of David R. Torke, 2012.320.

height: 40 1/4 in, 102.2350 cm; width: 21 3/4 in, 55.2450 cm; depth: 28 1/4 in, 71.7550 cm

Architecture and Design

Architecture and Design

This object is currently on view

Robert Propst designed the Perch chair as a resting place for people who primarily work standing up. It was part of Action Office I (AO-1), a modular office furniture system manufactured by Herman Miller. Propst’s research into working environments led him to realize the benefits of standing while working well before the term "ergonomics" was widely understood.

Purchased 1967 from (unknown Danish design store in Larimer Square), Denver, Colorado by David R. Torke, Colorado; bequeathed by David R. Torke to Liz Torke Jones; donated 2012 by Liz Torke Jones, Longmont, Colorado to the Denver Art Museum.

• “By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects” — Denver Art Museum, 10/24/2021 – 1/1/2024
• “By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects (1st Rotation)” — Denver Art Museum, 12/16/2022 – 1/31/2024
• “By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects (2nd Rotation)” — Denver Art Museum, 2/5/2024 – 2/5/2025