Hugh Acton is a modern renaissance man, nationally recognized as a furniture designer, artist, inventor, athlete and philosopher. A Michigan architect and furniture designer Huge Action is known for his metal and wood furniture benches and seating, metal spinning for planters, lighting and tables in the 1950’s. The Hugh Action Bench of 1954 had a large commercial success, the slat wood and brass Scandanavian style bench/coffee table was very popular and iconic for the era. The Acton Stacker z-shaped chair and related seating line is currently produced by the American Seating Company.

A rarer sight than his furniture, Acton’s copper sculptures typically aren’t seen far from his Michigan farm. Most are created for his own use or for sale to friends. The crumpled shapes range from columnar totems to shield-like panels. Heat and patination bring rich color and dimension to the red metal. Acton’s cuff bracelets and rings are wearable versions of the sculptures.

After studies at Cranbrook, Acton worked in GM’s Technical Center. He then launched his own companies to produce his furniture, which included storage units and coat/hat racks, as well as tabletop goods. He sold both firms to Brunswick Corp. in the mid-1960s, but retained ownership of his more craft-intensive designs.

Acton’s most ubiquitous creation is the Acton Stacker steel and polypropylene chair, first issued by American Seating in 1976 and still in production. Hundreds of thousands are in use, often in educational and institutional settings.

Harveys on Beverly carries Hugh Acton vintage furniture in our 20,000 square foot Los Angeles showroom, as well as here in our online store.