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2024-21, Armchair
Writing Arm Windsor Armchair
2024-21, Armchair

Writing Arm Windsor Armchair

Date1790-1800
OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
MediumBirch, white pine, and oak (replaced)
DimensionsOverall: 31 × 34 × 26 1/2in. (78.7 × 86.4 × 67.3cm)
Credit LineBequest of Charles Robert (Bob) Chope
Object number2024-21
DescriptionLow back writing-arm Windsor armchair; U shaped arm and crest rail with raised center portion, flat shaped arm (possibly replaced) at proper left terminating in scrolled knuckle and a flat, rounded writing surface at proper right end; shallow drawer with rounded ends in case nailed to underside of writing surface; drawer opens to front and rear; seventeen tapered spindles support arm and crest rail along with baluster shaped arm supports at front, one at proper left, and three at proper right to support wiring surface; D shaped seat with scribed line around spindles, molded top outer edge, and shallow shaping to seat at front with low peak in center; seat has two rounded extension on proper right side to support turned arm supports; four baluster turned splayed legs with tapered feet connected by bulbous side stretchers with incised line in center and medial bulbous stretcher with two rings turned toward ends.

Woods: Birch: crest rail, seat, legs, stretchers (all macro id by eye) and presumably in the spindles; oak: replaced section of the proper left arm; white pine writing arm and drawer.
Label TextLike other furniture forms, the geographic origin of American Windsor chairs can often be identified by woods, overall designs, and decorative details. Based on those elements, this low back writing-arm Windsor chair likely was made in Philadelphia. Two closely related chairs in the Rhode Island School of Design and Winterthur Museum collections are stamped by the Philadelphia maker Anthony Steele (active 1790-1817). The turnings of the legs, stretchers, and arm supports and the shape of the writing surface and drawer support construction, as well as the seat shape and crest rail are all very closely related on the chairs.
InscribedOn the underside of the drawer bottom in graphite: "This desk was / in the Ed / Lanphier / Study / when Paul / Finely/ Zaloom / decided to draw things". Scratched into the underside of the drawer bottom "WALI / MONGH[AN / 70]" " KAREN SELF" and " HAC / '67". Pencil sketch of a flag and face. Also ink sketches of faces, one with a tall pointed hat.
Provenancelate 1960s- early1970s, possibly owned by a student or teacher at Choate/Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, CT); ?-2024, purchased by Charles Robert Chope (Williamsburg, VA); 2024 - present, bequeathed to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)