Philip D. Zimmerman
The "Boston Chairs" of Mid-Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia

American Furniture 2009

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Armchair, probably Boston, Massachusetts, 1723–1735. Maple. H. 46", W. 23", D. 16 1/2". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Armchair, probably Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1725–1735. Maple. H. 49", W. 23", D. 17 1/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Armchair, Boston, Massachusetts, 1695–1710. Maple and red oak. H. 53 1/4", W. 22 7/8", D. 17". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.) This chair has its original Russia leather upholstery.

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Plate 11 from William Macpherson Hornor, Blue Book: Philadelphia Furniture (1935).

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Side chair, Boston area, Massachusetts, 1728–1740. Maple. H. 41 1/2", W. 20 1/2", D. 19 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Philip Zimmerman.) This chair has its original leather upholstery.

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Armchair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1730–1745. Maple with ash. H. 41 3/4", W. 25 1/2", D. 23 1/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.) The splint seat represented a modest savings in cost over leather.

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Armchair, Boston area, Massachusetts, 1728–1740. Birch and cherry. H. 40 3/4", W. 22 7/8", D. 20 7/8". (Courtesy, Historic Odessa.)

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Side chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1730–1740. Maple. H. 41 1/2", W. 21 1/4", D. 19". (Private collection; photo, Joe Kindig Antiques.)

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Side chair (one of a pair), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1730–1740. Maple with pine (seat). H. 40 3/4", W. 21", D. 19". (Courtesy, Wright’s Ferry Mansion.) The side and medial stretchers are similar to those on Boston chairs, but the plain rear stretcher on this chair and the example illustrated in fig. 8 is a Philadelphia convention.

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Detail of the rear stay rail and seat rail of the side chair illustrated in fig. 9.

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Armchair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1735–1745. Cherry with white cedar. H. 42", W. 28", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Stenton.)

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Detail of the rear stay rail and seat rail of the armchair illustrated in fig. 11.

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Side chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1730-1745. Maple. H. 42", W. 20 1/2", D. 19 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Philip Zimmerman.)

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Detail of the crest rail of the side chair illustrated in fig. 13.

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Detail of the splat and crest of the side chair illustrated in fig. 5.

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Detail of the splat and crest of a side chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1730–1740. Walnut, walnut veneer. H. 40 5/8", W. 20 3/4", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Stenton.) This chair was likely owned by James Logan of Stenton.

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Detail of the splat and crest of the side chair illustrated in fig. 8.

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Detail of the right front leg of the chair illustrated in fig. 5.

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Detail of the right front leg of the chair illustrated in fig. 8.

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Side chair labeled by William Savery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1750. Maple. H. 41", W. 19 1/2", D. 15". (Courtesy, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Side chair labeled by William Savery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1750.
    Maple. H. 36", W. 19 1/2", D. 15 1/2". (Courtesy, Dietrich American Foundation.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Side chair labeled by William Savery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1750–1760. Walnut with yellow pine (seat). H. 39", W. 21", D. 20 1/4". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg.) This chair is one of a pair.