August Thonet

August Thonet, one of Michael Thonet's five sons, was born in 1829 in Boppard, Germany. He quickly earned an excellent reputation for his bent beechwood furniture. In 1869 he began managing the family business.

During this period he also built and perfected machines for bending wood. In 1879 he was appointed Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph I. His position within the family company was taken over by Jacob Thonet in 1886.