La-Z-Boy Founders Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch, 1927-1928

THF290021 / La-Z-Boy Founders Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch, 1927-1928 / item1
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Artifact Overview

Cousins and business partners Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch established a successful furniture company through a combination of invention and marketing. The "La-Z-Boy" reclining chair technology they developed--and the creative ways they advertised it to customers--came to define the cousins' business. This photograph was taken in the early years of their collaboration.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

1927-1928

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

2015.78.1.288

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of La-Z-Boy, Incorporated.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Cardboard

Technique

Gelatin silver process
Mounting

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 14.000 in
Width: 11.000 in

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Related Content

  • Patent for the First La-Z-Boy Reclining Chair, January 24, 1929
    Set

    Technological Innovations at La-Z-Boy

    • 19 Artifacts
    In 1927, Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch -- cousins with a shared interest in building things -- founded a furniture-making business. Their ambition to create new products (and to improve upon existing ones) became a defining characteristic of the company. This group of artifacts represents La-Z-Boy's history of innovation motivated by consumers' ever-changing tastes and demands.
  • Advertising Poster, "La-Z-Boy More than Just a Great Recliner," circa 1990
    Set

    Marketing La-Z-Boy

    • 25 Artifacts
    La-Z-Boy co-founder Edward Knabusch concentrated his attention on marketing, through both traditional media and his unique approaches. Though the message evolved, advertising remained a central focus throughout the company’s history. These artifacts represent a range of La-Z-Boy's marketing strategies, including showroom displays, advertisements, and special promotions.