Vintage Wooden Child's Windsor Chair ~ Small Spindle Chair ~ Primitive Doll Chair ~ Little Red Chair ~ Tiny Red Chair TheRustyScarecrow. “Please accept this first letter written while sitting in my new Soukup Philadelphia writing chair. Is there a good source of information for this? My small, one-man shop is located in Tennessee, in the heart of Jonesborough’s Historic District.I have published numerous articles on chairmaking and have taught in craft schools both here and abroad. All this sleuthing doesn't bring us very much closer to identifying the maker. Scratches and Cuts on old Furniture can be a good thing. We've looked on line for information on maker's marks for furniture, checked the library's antique and furniture books without success. Is there a good source of information for this? Maker's Marks on British Antique Furniture. Look in the recesses of drawers or the springs of furniture for identification papers. Adrian Pearsall ... Other variations include the hoop-back, the low-back, and the rod-back. My knees, hips and, most importantly, elbow are well situated for the purpose intended. Vintage Ercol Mid-century Children’s Chairs, Set Of Two . Meaning your chairs were not all created under the same management, but could have been sold from a furniture showroom at the same time. The results are lasting pieces for museum collections and private homes. Anne. The workmanship is superb and the fit is exactly correct. I've made a couple of chairs since then, but have been sidetracked lately building the table to put them around. Here is some rather convoluted speculation: Collection in person. ", His furniture has been commissioned by George Washington's, Mark Soukup made twenty-eight "double-bowed" Windsor chairs for Monticello's main entrance hall, reproducing the original chairs listed in Jefferson's 1801 records. Fine Handmade Windsor Chairs & Period Furniture, Authentic Period Reproductions Made by Hand. We have some Windsor Bow Smoker's chairs whose value we are trying to determine. How very interesting! Collection in person. Get the best deals on Windsor American Antique Chairs when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Stephan, thank you so much for posting this additional information. I was given a type 3 Windsor chair however the legs and support for the arm is like those of the legs of type 4 . Additional commissions for Monticello have been fulfilled, including, “I'm writing to express our total delight with the chairs and settee! This would tend to give those chairs a "British" origin (there were no king George in Belgium). Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. Painted chairs with Mahogany arm fronts were a clever and effective way to elevate the Windsor armchair to compete with high-end cabinetmakers’ chairs in the 18th century. Unlike other chairs of contemporary date, which have open seat frames to receive upholstery or a woven bottom, the Windsor has a solid plank seat. I am perplexed and intrigued by the underseat brands. Come visit our showroom in Lincolnville, Maine Owners Mike and Jana Timchak invite you to visit Windsor Chairmakers workshop and showroom. This week's Makers 1-on-1 interview features woodworker and furniture maker Richard Grell from Hudson, OH. And perhaps the crown incised into your branding marks actually represents English monarchy. The seats are Elm and the back bows are Ash...easy to steam bend. If all the letters represent names, [and if those brands you showed me are on two separate chairs, one with A.M and one with A&F.H], it could mean that the M partner in the business had joined the company after, or left it before, the A&F.H partnership. The first chairs made this way were shipped to London … Ending 6 Jan at 3:23PM GMT 3d 8h. Mark Soukup creates Windsor Chairs and period furniture using traditional materials, tools, and techniques. From shop TheRustyScarecrow. Windsor Chairmaking with Luke A. Barnett. That might put us on a lead to figure out what the A&F.H. Every detail of the chair is so fine, that the object itself is perhaps, more a work of art than a functional thing.”, “The four tiger maple Windsor kitchen chairs Mark made for us are wonderful and we get to enjoy them every day. But an interesting set of variables, for your further research into possible names. We've looked on line for information on maker's marks for furniture, checked the library's antique and furniture books without success. An identification stamp, called a maker’s mark, is often placed in one of these hard-to-see areas. No change in partnership, just in company name. However, I am more inclined to think they are very nice reproductions, not true antiques [i.e. They may be stamped in a variety of ways and often in more than one place. There clearly is no period after the M, so I question whether it is a single set of initials at all [first and last name]. Unfortunately, all my resources on Windsor furniture deal almost exclusively with American styles. His pieces reflect the beautiful lines and functional quality of the finest classic American furniture with meticulous detail and a passion for the highest level of craftsmanship. The goal of this lens is to be a guide for the identification of both antique windsor chairs and the more modern varieties as well. Mark Soukup made twenty-eight "double-bowed" Windsor chairs for Monticello's main entrance hall, reproducing the original chairs listed in Jefferson's 1801 records. When buying antique furntiure it is important to look out for pieces stamped with the mark of their maker, to help date and vaule a piece. Traditionally, they were inserted into holes that penetrated the seat, and then made secure by driving a thin wedge into the top. Additional commissions for Monticello have been fulfilled, including square-back settees for the dome room and Jefferson-designed settees for the exterior terraces. In both, the arm rail was generally maple; the spindles were hickory, white oak or ash. Windsor Chairs are the reason the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute is in business today. In the early days of tools and machining, it was the soft wood of pine that made it easy to shape the seat in the traditional "saddle" pattern. Windsors have been a strong and popular style for well over 200 years. Probably 1930s - 1950s. But it's great to see that the legs and the two stiles [front arm supports] of your chairs are joined to the seat in the historic manner. Now, a final kicker thought: just as your in-laws were told, they might not be early American, but British made. The Windsor chair originated in England during the early eighteenth century. Mark Soukup creates Windsor Chairs and period furniture using traditional materials, tools, and techniques. Mark Soukup-Chairmaker-Cabinetmaker. Antique vanities/dressing tables--why are they so low? Windsor side chairs (those without arms) and armchairs made in the 19th century have turned legs united by transverse and side stretchers and were often stamped with the maker’s name. If you're interested in the process, though, Curtis Buchanan has been doing a fantastic series of Youtube vids. Finished in the original Mahogany paint color, the chairs have been placed out on the piazza facing the Potomac River, where Washington had used them for entertaining. I do not have record of an F.H., nor an F.M. or Best Offer. Windsor chair makers produced seating in bulk and probably found marks useful for tracking ownership and maintaining accountability. stands for! £105.00. One of my sources has photographs of actual brands pressed into the wood, and there is not a single one with a crown. I make Windsor Chairs in much the same way they were made 200 years ago. By the 18th century steam bending was being used to produce the characteristic "bow" of the Windsor chair. Windsors are my favorites, and I guess you could say my forte. Please call or email to talk with Mark about his work, arrange a visit to the workshop, or to discuss an order. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. In fact, every one of the American brands I have seen are strictly done in block capital letters – no symbols of any kind. I relish the delicacy of the spindles, the widening at joints, and the subtle indented line that follows the upper supports; you mentioned that is done by hand with a formed piece of tool steel (scraper), I think. A little research into English hallmarks [most common on silver pieces] might reveal just which monarch the two figures in the two lobes of the crown represent. By contrast, 18th century Windsors, especially those made in the Thames Valley region, often have cabriole legs and the makers are largely unknown. These papers often give the date of manufacture, location of the factory in which the piece was manufactured, and the name of the maker. And many indications of a good traditional chair. “I want you to know that I, and my law partners, think that this piece of your work is absolutely beautiful. Or A. Motzer, Connecticut, 1790. The AM indicated who the furniture was made for not by. Building a Windsor, he says, is like constructing a bridge — both are dynamic structures that must bear up under shifting weight. We have some Windsor Bow Smoker's chairs whose value we are trying to determine. to me. This mark is from an ipad. Some of the chairs have another marking "George VI" (not so sure about the VI as I took the two seen on the pictures for restoration and do not have the others on hand). Are your chairs possibly 18th or early 19th century, and crossed the ocean long ago? Antique Windsor Chair High Back Large Very Old, Delivery Possibly. It was written with a broad readership in mind and is aimed at existing Windsor chair makers and also at those who are contemplating making their first chair. The gently scooped shape, and apparent solidity of your seats, certainly fit this bill. Antique American "Brown Furniture" just not collectible any more. The clue to its origin is in the Windsor part of the "Windsor Style" description. Or could those figures actually be fleur-de-lis, a symbol for France, and your chairs are French? Browse through eighteen rooms of handcrafted furniture in two 1840’s farmhouses and Shaker Furniture Gallery. We are attaching some photos of the marks on the bottoms of the chairs and the chairs themselves. Mark Soukup was commissioned to make thirty Philadelphia sack-back Windsor chairs for Mount Vernon, reproducing a surviving chair from Washington's own inventory. 163 likes. My feeling is that they are all-oak but I no specialist. Another point of difference between antique and reproduction Windsors: if you look at photos of antique Windsors, you’ll see that the legs show varying degrees of ‘splay’ [the angle at which they enter the seat], whereas yours seem much closer to vertical. Vernon, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and Jefferson's Poplar Forest. Only 1 available and it's in 1 person's cart. Several factors lead me to think this. Excellent as a stand-alone chair or for use as a dining chair. Furniture labels and marks have been used since the 19th century, and the number of marks out there is mind-boggling -- in his book Arts and Crafts Shopmarks, author Only Genuine Antique Windsor Chairs Approved. In hoop-back chairs the uprights are anchored by a bent arch of wood which is jointed into the seat or the arms. "I build custom heirloom furniture by hand in the same manner of the 18th-century furniture shop, with care and attention to every detail. And I really enjoy the angled junction of the arm to the back of the armchair. I have two of these chairs, stamped with the furniture company Reischmann N... http://www.myantiquefurniturecollection.com/anne-jms/blog/. my personal experience with Windsor chair construction led to an interest in early Windsor chairmakers and a desire to learn more about these craftsmen. you read and agreed to the, Identifying the age of Thonet chairs and other Thonet furniture. As you can see, the dates are clear : 1936 and 1940. I make fine 18th Century reproduction Windsor chairs and case furniture. The turnings on English Windsors do tend to be thicker than the American style. Thanks for your help. The reason these are all over Europe is because the War Department (including the Air Ministry) took them there. Maybe Jeremy could tell us how he came to discover that AM stands for "Air Ministry"? “The chair arrived yesterday without any problems and I am absolutely satisfied! As for the second brand, it looks more like A & F.H. Warnings. What does sk 514 mean stamped on the bottom of a wooden rocking chair? Looking at it differently, suppose the 'period' simply indicates a break between common words, not names. The Windsor chair may have been the first mass-produced style in the United States. Dec 5, 2012 - If you need help identifying windsor chairs, then you have come to the right place. Thank you very much.” B.A., Florida . For comb-backed chairs, the upright spindles that form the backrest are socketed into a simple bar at the top. or Best Offer. These chairs were purchase by my inlaws who thought they were of English manufacture and antiques. I noticed that it is difficult to capture the proper proportions of the backs with the camera. Anne, Hi - I have a similar mark on a desk and have just discovered what it stands for - "Air Ministry". Iconic Makers. I am including more photos of the chairs from different angles. There is a firm of Always & Hampton, in N.Y. 1792. The Windsor chair's popularity was derived partly out of its association with the Founding Fathers - Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all owned them - and partly because the chairs were easy to manufacture. over 100 years], nor the earliest 18th century American originals. And I really enjoy the angled junction of the arm to the back of the armchair!”. Exact symmetry is another sign that the piece was machine-made. Take a photograph of the mark and scan or fax it to an expert. This means that it was originally furniture in the British Royal Air Force. I have a wood pedestal with a tag on the bottom that says, Iowa Furniture &... How to remove heat marks from antique table? Prototypes for the chair commission were made available for study by Independence National Historical Park and the Winterthur Museum. When does refinishing antique furniture not affect the value. You have done a beautiful job and achieved perfection; I will certainly enjoy it. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860. Oddly enough, the Windsor style began in England, migrated to America with a few changes, and never really took hold in any other country. There are also some sources on the Internet that can be found, although in many cases, their references may be incomplete. Studio furniture maker. I have 6 chairs with the exact same stamps and I have the same questions! They are such a sweet refinement of the Windsor design. Written by James Mursell, this book was the first new book about the making and design of Windsor chairs for over 10 years. A pair of Windsor-type arm chairs, by NicholsA pair of Windsor-type arm chairs, by Nichols and Stone, with black painted and natural finish, Eagle decoration on both PAIR NICHOLS & STONE GREEN PAINTED WINDSORS PAIR NICHOLS & STONE GREEN PAINTED WINDSORS 20th century, with curved spindle backs over scooped seat, raised on bulbous turned legs joined by stretchers; I had also observed that they were made without screws (except for one of the chairs which has had a repair) The chairs look as if they were all a set, but the markings on the bottoms are all a little different. I was delighted to see that your legs and stiles were joined in that manner, thru the apparently single- plank seat and arm rail. 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