THE WOOD SHOP
HAND CRAFTED WINDSOR CHAIRS
WINDSOR CHAIRS
Doug learned the art of chair making at The Windsor Institute in Hampton, New Hampshire by the master of hand-crafted Windsor Chairs, Mike Dunbar.
Doug is available for chair making demonstrations throughout the year.
WINDSOR CHAIR STYLE
SACK-BACK
The first sack-back chairs were referred to as 'sackt-backs' chairs and were developed in Philadelphia sometime during the 1760's. Based on the number of surviving examples, it can be assumed that for around fifty years or so they were one of the favorite Windsor styles. They were comfortable, durable, relatively inexpensive, very portable, and attractive.
WINDSOR CHAIR STYLE
BOW-BACK SIDE
First introduced and developed in Philadelphia in the 1780's during the Federal period, the style was readily accepted there and became popular and quickly spread throughout the states. They were the second Windsor side-chair pattern (fan backs being the first,) but they were the first style to be mass produced and judging from the number of surviving examples, they were the most popular style, especially in side-chair form.
WINDSOR CHAIR STYLE
COMB-BACK
WRITING ARM
The distinguishing features of the writing-arm Windsor chairs are their very large wooden paddle-shaped writing arms. The earliest writing-arm predates the Revolutionary period. The writing-arm Windsor chair form may have originated in Philadelphia, but except for the low-back style made by Anthony Steel, few writing-arm Windsors were made there. A large number were produced in Connecticut. The best of those were made by the Ebenezer Tracy family of Lisbon and numerous other imitators. They are the most complicated of Windsor chairs and are much sought after by collectors.
