A director’s chair is a lightweight chair with a scissors movement that folds from side to side. The seat and back are composed of canvas or a similar sturdy fabric that may be folded and can take the user’s entire weight; the frame is made of wood, metal, or plastic. The seat and scissors parts work together to support and distribute the weight of the sitter, ensuring that the seat is tight and comfortable. The back of the chair is generally low, and there are usually armrests.

The term comes from the conventional picture of a movie director on set, which includes one of these seats. In his book Design for the Real World, Victor Papanek characterizes this chair as a great design since it is basic and well-suited to its job. The design may be traced back to 15th-century coffer-makers’ chairs, and then to the Roman curule chair.

The Gold Medal Camp Furniture firm, created, owned, and operated by William Gittings and the Gittings Family, introduced the modern American style director’s chairs.

In the run-up to the 1893 World’s Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the Gold Medal Classic design earned an award for excellence in casual furniture design in 1892. The Lord’s Table, Inc. is now producing Gold Medal Directors Chairs in Tennessee.

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