Side Chair

Date1780-1800

OriginAmerica, New York, Hudson River Valley

MediumMaple and rush

DimensionsOH: 36 3/4"; OW: 19 1/8"; SD: 14 3/8"; OD: 15"

Credit LineGift of John Ogilby Sands

Object number2016-157

DescriptionSide chair; splat back with yoke crest rail terminating in pointed ends, flat on front and rear, chamfered on top edges; broad, flat vase-shaped splat chamfered on front and back edges, mortised between center of cresting rail, and top of rectangular stay rail which is also chamfered on the back edges; stiles composed of a small baluster with ring turning below, above a tall baluster with a ring turnings at the base, above plain, cylindrical lower leg; trapezoidal seat rails covered with possibly original rush seat; cylindrical front legs extend above the rush seat and have ring turnings between seat rails and stretchers terminating in a worn foot (possibly originally slightly domed); double-baluster turned front stretcher; plain, cylindrical double side and double rear stretchers.
Label TextThis Hudson River Valley chair is of a type known today as a “York” chair that were produced in New York City, the Hudson River Valley, coastal Connecticut coast, and Long Island. While many of these “York” chairs had a turned leg with a pad foot suggestive of a cabriole leg, some like this example were produced with ring turned legs. Inspired by English chairs of a similar form, the design of these chairs that defines them as “York” chairs include the yoked crest rail, vasiform splat supported by a stay rail, turned components including a bulbous front stretcher, and a rush seat. This example has slightly unusual pointed ends of its crest rail and descended in the Brinkerhoff family of New York City and the Hudson Valley.
ProvenanceDescended in the Brinckerhoff family. Line of descent: Peter Remsen Brinckerhoff (1804-1874) and Althia McFarlan Brinckerhoff (1806-1869) of New York City and Briarcliff, NY; to daughter Henrietta Brinckerhoff (1844-1914) of Briarcliff, NY; to nephew Charles Fitz Randolph Ogilby (1879-1962) of Washington, DC; to daugther Elizabeth Ogilby Sands (1912-1992) of Maryland; to son & donor John Ogilby Sands (1949-present).

May have descended from: Abraham Brinckerhoff (1745-1823) and Dorthea Remsen Brinckerhoff (1756-?) of Brooklyn, Newtown, Queens Co., and Kingston, Ulster County, NY; to son Abraham Brinckerhoff (1778-1828) and Mary Platt (1781-1812) of Kingston, NY and New York City; to son Peter Remson Brinckerhoff. Or, it may have come into the Brinckerhoff family from the Platt family. Mary Platt (1781-1812) was the daughter of Zephaniah Platt (1735-1807) of Huntington, Suffolk Co., NY, Poughkeepsie, and finally Plattsburg, NY. She was born and raised in Poughkeepsie and married Abraham Brinckerhoff in 1799.