Description: | 1986 Alcoa Aluminum Company of America / Alcoa Laboratories. Modernistic Aluminum-Lucite Chess Set. Fantastic chess set compendium created especially for select guests of the Alcoa Laboratories Symposia 1986-1988. The chess pieces are a Josef Hartwig minimalist Bauhaus design from 1924. The pieces are made of an experimental ceramic/aluminum material developed by Alcoa and are stored in two wooden trays. Included also a 1 1/8" tick, ~16.5" x 16.5" with 2" inlayed squares made of aluminum-lithium sheet clad board. The board is labeled Centennial Technical Symposium 1986-1988. All is packaged in large approx. 24.5" x 17.5" x 2" wooden case with sliding top, which was mailed to participants (only several hundreds) after the events. Very rare is the inclusion of a two-page brochure providing further details and signed by Dr. Peter R. Bridenbaugh, VP of R&D at Alcoa Laboratories. The chess pieces, with the Alcoa logo, range in height from 1" tall for the Pawns to 2" Kings. The light pieces are off-white the dark pieces are charcoaled-black. The all-original set includes all chess pieces, board, housing for chess pieces and carrying wooden case weighs nearly 40 pounds. Sold. |