RS Associates

_{Above: The Martini teak coffee and end tables, 1968. Photo: tributedecor.blogspot.com}

If there is one thing I see most often while perusing Mid Century Montreal’s dealers (and friend’s basements) it would a piece of furniture made by Montreal manufacturer R.S. Associates. They are so common in fact that some folks consider them a bit lowly, certainly they are very affordable and the realty is they are often well-made, serviceable pieces of modern furniture. There were many manufacturers in Quebec during this period but I think it’s time to give RS Associates a look.

After the Second World War there was a ground shift in Quebec. The Quebecois started shaking off the mantle of a previously repressive order and began seeking out new art, music, and design. This was coupled with a political shift as well with a growing momentum for the right to self-determination as a people, and as a nation. The movement was known as the quiet revolution. With this new taste for Modern local manufacturers, particularly in Montreal, began producing new furniture that reflected this sense of social freedom and offered it to a public eager to buy it. RS Associates was one of these companies.

Click on image for full view.

The cover of Montreal Magazine, 1965.

Students protesting for the right to self-determination and sovereignty, 1970.

Perhaps the culmination of the desire for the ‘new’ was Montreal’s 1967 World’s Fair Expo 67, a dazzling showcase of design, architecture, and culture.

There’s not a lot of information about RS Associates, even the ‘Canadian Design Bible’ Design in Canada makes no mention of them, but the scope of their output during the 1960’s is staggering. Taking most of their design cues from the Scandinavian manufacturers (which was wildly popular in Montreal and imported by boatload weekly during the 1960’s) RS Associates felt they could create a similar aesthetic at a much more reasonable cost and soon their teak pieces were flying out of the stores. The designs of RS Associates are more often than not of a utilitarian nature with basic, well-made items that would serve day-to-day use. Sometimes, however, they experimented with more whimsical forms like the ‘Martini’ coffee and table set that is undoubtedly one of the most popular with collectors today.

So while snubbed a little by some collectors and dealers the modern designs of RS Associates are worth noting. They are certainly not the best designs produced in Montreal, or Canada for that matter, of this period but they are designs for everyone – they were well-made, affordable, and for the people. As near as I can tell RS Associates, like so many local manufactures unable to compete with cheaper (and cheaply) made imports and the big box stores, was out of business by the 1990’s. I had a broad range of choices when looking for a coffee table and the one I settled on – and very much enjoy – is one of the ‘lowly’ RS Associates models. 🙂

Common sight in Montreal with a set of teak ‘Martini’ coffee and end tables lounging on the sidewalk outside a dealer. Photo: facebook.com/DuDesignDuRetroetduKitch

Montreal in the 1960’s, well worth a look.

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