The Windsor chair can be defined as any chair that is built with a wooden seat into which are fixed the backrest and undercarriage. Typically, the backrest and sometimes the arm pieces are formed from steam bent pieces of wood.
History
It is generally agreed that Windsor chairs were developed in the late 17th century in the vicinity of High Wycombe but named for the local big town of Windsor, Berkshire, England. Introduction to America seems to have been by the 1726 governor of Pennsylvania, Patrick Gordon. The American style evolved from these original chairs brought from the Old Countries.
Forms and construction
There are about seven distinctive forms. These include:
- Sackback
Sack Back Windsor Armchair
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- Hoopback
- Combback
Comb Back Windsor Armchair
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Comb Back Windsor Armchair
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Comb Back Windsor Writing Chair
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- Continuous arm
- Low back
- Rod back
- Fan back
Ricker Fanback Windsor Armchair
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Ricker Fanback Windsor Armchair
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Lyman Mower Windsor Armchair
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Lyman Mower Windsor Armchair
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It is common to find Windsors made in the 1700's that contain three different species of wood. Pine or poplar are common for the seat. Maple makes crisp turnings. Oak, ash, and elm all rive (split) and steam bend nicely. They are also straight grained and thus work well for slender spindles. The wood of the seat is removed to create the saddle. Softer wood makes the shaping of the saddle easier. The legs are splayed at angles fore-and-aft (rake) as well as side-to-side (splay) to provide actual and visual support of the person sitting. Early chairs made in America usually have stretchers connecting the front and back legs and a cross stretcher connecting the two side stretchers- creating what is known as an "H" stretcher assembly. "Through holed and wedged" is one of the primary means of joining Windsor chair parts. A cylindrical or tapered hole is bored in the first piece, the matching cylindrical or tapered end of the second piece is inserted in the hole, and a wedge is driven into the end of the second piece, flaring it tight in the hole. The excess portion of the wedge is then cut and sanded until it is smooth and flush with the surrounding surface. This supplies a mechanical hold that will prevail when the glue fails. In general, early Windsor chair joints are held together mechanically, making glue a redundant detail in their assembly.
Demo Of Hole & Wedge Joinery
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Demo Of Hole & Wedge Joinery
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Demo Of Hole & Wedge Joinery
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ercol continue to manufacture Windsor chairs in the High Wycombe area of England, the birthplace of the style. Their chairs continue to feature the "through holed and wedged" joint for joining the legs to the chair seat, and they produce both an ash version and a traditional mixed timber version, in elm and beech.
See also
- Vermont Handcrafted Windsor Chairs
- New Hampshire Windsor Chairs & Period Furniture -- Handcrafted & Custom Made
- The Windsor Institute
- Windsor chairs made in their original heartland
- Maine Handcrafted Windsor Chairmaker and cabinet maker custom built for you
- Information on Windsor Chairs
- Windsor Chair School
- Windsor Chairmakers
- Traditional Method Chairmaker
- Northwest Windsor Chairs
- Mount-Royal Windsor Chairs, Windsor Chair Tradition in Quebec
- 18th Century Style Handcrafted Windsor Chair Creations
- Reproduction Chair Maker
- GreatWindsorChairs.com
- Handmade Windsor Chairs
- Chair turnings, article by Stuart King
