Wright Auction

Regarded as the first modernist outdoor furniture, Schultz created The Leisure Collection at the direct request of Florence Knoll. After marrying and moving to Florida in 1958, she struggled to find outdoor furniture that held up to the humidity and salty air. Schultz recounts that he “started getting envelopes from her with rusty [Bertoia] bolts or corroded parts and a note saying ‘Why can’t we make a chair that works?’” The collection launched in March 1966 after four years spent producing both an innovative weather-resistant and truly modern form.