Maggie Gold Seelig’s Family Heirloom

Photo by Joyelle West

As a child, Maggie Gold Seelig brought her father lunch on Saturdays when he saw patients at his home office. Dr. Arnold Gold was a pediatric neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center whose strong belief in the importance of an empathetic bedside manner led him to create a foundation to inspire young doctors to practice compassionate patient care. “My dad always looked for ways to make people feel loved and enveloped,” says Seelig, founder of MGS Group Real Estate. His office, she says, “was a fun, welcoming environment with a jungle gym, books, and toys.” The décor included the “Joe” lounge chair by De Pas, D’Urbino, and Lomazzi for Poltronova that Seelig’s parents purchased in the early 1970s.

The leather lounger, fashioned in the form of a baseball glove, is woven into the fabric of Seelig’s childhood memories. “I always remember having the chair,” she recalls, noting that her father passed away nearly five years ago. Afterward, Seelig, one of five siblings, was given the chair by her mother. “I feel a strong emotional connection to the chair; it brings my dad back in a way,” she says. “Two of my sons are baseball players; we’re a baseball family. I wanted them to start experiencing the piece.” Seelig now appreciates the design, craftsmanship, and hand-detailing of the Italian-made item, which is presently situated in the living room of her Cambridge home. “It’s incredibly well-made and in great condition considering it’s more than 50 years old,” she says, noting that after she lives with the chair, it will be passed on to another family member who will, undoubtedly, cherish the piece as well.

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Summer 2023 issue, with the headline, “Family Heirloom.”