Banister Back Side Chair

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Turners used a lathe to produce great numbers of this type of banister-back chair over a long period of time in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and throughout New England. The banisters of this chair are split spindles rather than the simpler slats, and the four banister turnings match the rear posts of the chair. In this example, as in others made in Deerfield, the rounded portion of the spindle is set against the sitter’s back. Surviving inventories of chair makers reveal that for efficiency, the craftsman turned out numbers of posts, rails and split spindles before assembling the parts into seating furniture. Because different woods were used for the various parts, the chair was painted.

Related Items

Details

Item typeHousehold Objects
Furniture
Date1780–1810
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicHome Life, Household Items, Furniture
Industry, Occupation, Work
EraThe New Nation, 1784–1815
MaterialWood
Process/FormatWoodworking
Dimension detailsHeight: 41.00 in Width: 18.37 in Depth: 13.75 in
Catalog #1880.037.06
View this item in our curatorial database →
Banister Back Side Chair. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1880-037-06/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.