Such weatherproof chairs were designed by François A. Carré in 1866, and were widely used in French public parks and gardens; Smithsonian Institution on-line catalogue 1979.017.001: "The use of 'curved strips of sheet steel' to form backs and seats for garden chairs was considered innovative design and construction in the 1860s, but was still in demand into the twentieth century. The original United States patent was filed in 1866 by Francois A. Carré of Paris, France."
