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From Home Furnishing Business

Furniture Hall Opens Interactive Wall of Fame

April 8, 2014  by in High Point, Industry, Market, Special Events   

A reception for the installation--The Innovations of Our Leaders: An Exhibit to Honor the Members of the Hall of Fame--culminated with an unveiling of the new exhibit and champagne toast. 

“The exhibit includes photos and the innovations of the 94 members of the American Furniture Hall of Fame,” said George Cartledge III, chairman of the Foundation. “Touch screen kiosks offer biographies, videos and oral histories of the members of the Hall, focusing on the spirit of our leaders and their contributions to the American furniture industry. 

“This new exhibit is a demonstration of the work that the Hall is doing to not only preserve our history but to undertake writing our history,” he says. “It is designed to give a nod to our past while making the information interesting, entertaining and easily accessible.”

Last year, the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation received a grant from the Furniture Foundation to develop a new Wall of Fame. The first Wall of Fame was installed in 2006. The new exhibit features vintage photos which depict retail stores; furniture manufacturing of case goods, upholstery and bedding; and the supply chain. 

Interactive screens enable visitors to access biographies of each of the Hall of Fame members and Industry Fellows. When available, oral histories and induction speeches will be included. Visitors also may view "Tell Us Your Story" videos, featuring colorful anecdotes about the furniture industry through the years. 

“The exhibit is a mix of the old and the new with our proud past prominently displayed in a beautiful modern setting of glass and interactive technology,” said Bill Kimbrell, president of the Hall of Fame and CEO of Star Furniture in Houston. “It is a visible tribute to our past while also looking ahead to the future of the industry.”