When Renzo Frau set up the Poltrona Frau Company in Turin in 1912, little did he imagine that over the years his surname would become synonymous with "armchair." As time went by,the fame of his leather articles spread through the whole of Italy and even across its borders.His armchairs not only made their way into the homes of the affluent middle class and the offices of leading members of the professions, but also became stars of the silent screen, which was born and enjoyed its greatest splendor in Turin in the early decades of the 20 th century. It was also in Turin that the most famous car builders gave Renzo commissions for the leather upholstery of deluxe automobiles. In the early 1930s, Poltrona Frau furnished splendid ships like Rex, then the pride of Italy's commercial fleet. Then came the struggle for recovery in the post-war years...