Chair Alvar Aalto Museum collection / donated by Elissa Aalto Designer: Alvar Aalto and/or Aino Aalto Designed: (?) Maker: (?) Aalto rapidly distanced himself from historical motifs as he discovered the principles of modern design. Some of his furniture designs from the late '20s and early '30s are almost duplicates of those of his continental colleagues, especially when he used tubular steel and plywood as materials. The two tubular-steel chairs in the exhibition are probably prototypes and it is believed that they never went into production for retail sales.