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December, 2017 The Antique Shoppe Page 31
laboriously carved and turned cylinder and of a hard wood such as ash, oak, birch or names in different locations. HERE ARE THE MOST COMMON
ball legs, similar to other chairs of the first half maple that could be steam heated and bent Almost any of these variations may have FORMS AND THEIR NAMES
of the 18th century. But demand for the chairs to form the popular hoop back seen on many additional support in the form of spindles
and the necessity of easier production finally models. The key to the construction was that rising from a rear extension of the seat or LOW BACK- The low back Windsor has
a semicircular horizontal crest rail above
prevailed over tradition around mid century all of the wood used was uncured green stock. from a ball extended from the seat edge. relatively short spindles. The crest rail also
and the legs of the American Windsor became Then as the wood dried and shrank it became These chairs have the name “brace” added to serves as the armrest. This style is generally
tapered with ring turnings, faux bamboo turns secured in place by the grip of the shrinkage. any other name. called a “captain’s” chair and is the model
and simpler stretchers. The grain of the plank seat in 18th and early A couple of key differences between 19th most frequently seen with a writing surface
Soon the chairs were exported throughout 19th century Windsors invariably ran from century chairs and 20th century Colonial attached to one arm.
the Colonies and local variations abounded as side to side rather from front to back as is Revival models make identification easy. HOOP-BACK- There are three common
craftsmen set to work providing a local supply seen in modern chairs. Newer factory made Windsors tend to have versions of the hoop back. One is a variation
of the simply made chairs. The design of the While local variations of the Windsor all components made of the same wood, a of the lowback with a hoop added above the
chair was such that almost any local material continued, by the 1820s most production hardwood. And the seats in modern chairs are crest rail. The hoop terminates in the crest
was adequate. The seat commonly consisted of the chairs had settled into a factory usually made of two or more pieces of wood rail somewhere short of the armrest portion.
of a single thick plank of soft wood such as environment and several basic forms became glued together to form the seat and the grain This is also called a “sack-back”. Another type
pine. It was often “scooped” and shaped for the norm. But as you might expect with such a of the wood runs from front to back, not side hoop chair has a continuos hoop that rises
added comfort. Some early models also had widely manufactured and distributed product, to side like the wood in early Windsors. above tall spindles and terminates on each
rush seats. The legs and spindles were made the same form was often called by different side of the seat. This is also called a “bow-
back” or “loop back”. Yet another version has
the hoop supported on the ends by vertical
Send your comments, questions and spindles to form the armrests on each side
pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, before the hoop rises high in the back. This is
FL 34423 or email them to me at info@ called a “continuous” armchair.
furnituredetective.com FAN-BACK- The fan back is a side chair,
Visit Fred’s newly redesigned website typically with two stiles, heavier than the
at www.furnituredetective.com and check other spindles, rising vertically on each side of
out the new downloadable “Common Sense the seat. The gently curved, almost straight,
Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book horizontal crest rail sits atop these stiles and
“HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE” is is also supported by smaller spindles.
now available for $18.95 plus $3.00 shipping. ROD-BACK/ARROW BACK- These are
Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred variations of the fan back chair. The rod back
Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 features fairly straight stiles and spindles that
Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, sometimes intersects a lower crest rail. Then
“IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE a secondary set of spindles above the lower
FURNITURE”, ($17.00 + $3.00 S&H) are also crest, along with the stiles, supports a top
available at the same address. For more crest rail. The spindles are often swell turned
information call (800) 387-6377 (9AM-4PM or faux bamboo turned. But not all rod backs
Eastern, M-F only), fax 352-563-2916, or have the second crest rail. The arrow back
e-mail info@furnituredetective.com. All items chair has slightly backward leaning stiles and
are also available directly from the website, (L-R) Hoop-back or Sack-back, Hoop-back or Loop-back and Fan-back or Rod-back. flattened spindles that may come close to a
www.furnituredetective.com point at either the top or bottom.

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