This is a fine quality antique English Edwardian Arts & Crafts desk chair, constructed in solid beech, featuring a revolving, reclining and height adjustable mechanism, circa 1910, in excellent condition.

Summary:

• Item: Arts & Crafts Desk Chair
• Circa: 1910
• Period: Edwardian
• Style: Arts & Crafts
• Provenance: England, UK
• Wood: Solid beech
• Reclining & height adjustable mechanism
• Rotates 360 degrees
• High back design
• Curved bar back
• Central fan splat
• Newly upholstered in green leather
• Hand tacked brass stud seat
• Splayed beech legs
• Original solid brass & mug castors
• Very comfortable
• Cleaned & serviced mechanism
• Original polish & patination
• Excellent condition
• Free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy 

Description:

This is a fine quality antique English Edwardian Arts & Crafts desk chair, constructed in solid beech, featuring a revolving, reclining and height adjustable mechanism, circa 1910, in excellent condition.  This antique revolving office chair features a curved bar back, secured by shaped arms and supported by an elegant splayed vertical high fan back (ideal for stronger back support). The chair seat has been newly upholstered in top quality full grain green leather, which has been finished with hand-tacked brass studs to the perimeter. The underside of the seat has been re-webbed in the traditional manner. The front and sides of the seat are decorated with a scroll shaped frieze.  The chair mechanism has been restored and serviced and is in good working order. The Arts & Crafts desk chair incorporates a mechanism allowing it to rotate 360 degrees and recline backwards. The seat height can be adjusted by turning a ribbed metal screw on the underside of the chair.  The office chair sits on four splayed solid beech legs which terminate on its original solid brass castors.  Beech wood was a favourite choice of materials for chairs and seating, owing to it strong natural grain characteristics.  The chair is extremely comfortable to sit on as it features a lovely padded seat with a high back.

The Arts & Crafts desk chair boasts a rich golden-brown colour.  The antique office chair has been cleaned and French polished, by hand, to a professional standard, in our workshop, therefore the polish and patination is of an excellent standard.  This Arts & Crafts desk chair would look superb in a variety of rooms in the home, especially the office or study as it is so comfortable. This antique office chair would certainly grace any home. So, don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.

History of the Office Chair:

An office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It is usually a swivel chair, with a set of wheels for mobility and adjustable height. Modern office chairs typically use a single, distinctive load bearing leg (often called a gas lift), which is positioned underneath the chair seat. Near the floor this leg spreads out into several smaller feet, which are often wheeled and called casters.

Before the nineteenth century, most of the global workforce was employed in agrarian labour—an “office chair” was only relevant for the wealthy, government officials and academics. In fact, Charles Darwin is the earliest known adopter of a proto-office chair, grafting wheels onto a normal chair in the 1840s so he could swivel between specimens. It goes without saying that this was a fairly uncommon use case.

Then came the railroad, the advent of manufacturing, and the Industrial Revolution. As the traditional model of labour was upended, more administrative workers were needed for logistical coordination and bookkeeping, and the concept of general and administrative workers was born. Businesses empowered by rail access in scaling and expanding to new markets employed more and more people—creating a cadre of middle managers.

This was the first time in history that productivity accrued on a mass scale from people sitting indoors. As white-collar workers became a crucial economic resource for the first time, their bosses began to recognize the value of making them comfortable.

The “Centripetal Office Chair”, designed by the inventor Thomas Warren and launched by the American Chair Company in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London.  An example of this office chair now sits in the Brooklyn Museum.  Office chairs were developed around the mid-19th century onwards, as more workers spent their shifts sitting at a desk, leading to the adoption of several features not found on other chairs.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_chair

Source: https://www.branchfurniture.com/blogs/turn-key/the-history-of-the-modern-office-chair#:~:text=Mid%2D1800s%3A%20Victorian%20Design,sits%20in%20the%20Brooklyn%20Museum

History of the Ats & Crafts Movement:

The Arts and Crafts furniture movement (circa 1880-1920) began in 19th-century Britain as a reaction to industrialization, protesting mass-produced, poorly made goods by championing handcrafted quality, simple designs, and honest materials, led by key figures like William Morris, John Ruskin, and Charles Robert Ashbee promoted traditional skills, leading to regional schools (like the Cotswolds) and international spread, with iconic designers such as Gustav Stickley (in the U.S.) defining its enduring appeal for honest, durable, and aesthetically pleasing utility to restore dignity to labour and create beautiful, functional objects for everyday life, emphasising traditional skills over mechanized production.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_Crafts_movement

Source: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/arts-and-crafts-an-introduction?srsltid=AfmBOopahgvbF9NeMVngqyeIoREm_FNsjQbTOKJqODtjerBPn0Yk0Z1C

Source: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/story/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/

Condition Report:

The chair and mechanism are in excellent working condition.  Nominal old use marks to the leading edges of the chair frame but nothing significant considering the age of the item. The chair seat has been newly upholstered in top quality full grain sage green leather, which incorporates the traditional brass studwork tacks to the seat perimeter and traditional hessian material to the underside. Therefore, the leather is in excellent new condition, with no wear, fading or damage. The reclining and adjustable height mechanism is in good working order, having just been cleaned and serviced. There is some play to the mechanism but this is perfectly acceptable, and in line with the age of the chair.  The chair has been cleaned and French polished, by hand, to a professional standard, in our workshop, therefore the polish and patination is of an excellent standard.  The chair sits on four splayed solid beech legs which terminate on its original solid brass castors.  This desk chair is solid in joint and ready to use.

Dimensions:

The following information provides dimensions on when the chair height is lowered and also raised to its highest setting using by adjusting the central steel rod:

External Height (Lowered) = 99cm / 39” / 3ft 3”

External Height (Raised) =107cm / 42⅛” / 3ft 6⅛”

External Width = 60cm / 23⅝” / 1ft 11⅝”

External Depth = 55cm / 21⅝” / 1ft 9⅝”

Back Height (From Seat) = 58cm / 22¾” / 1ft 10¾”

Seat Height – Centre (Lowered) = 48cm / 18⅞” / 1ft 6⅞”

Seat Height – Centre (Raised) = 57cm / 22½” / 1ft 10½”

Seat Height – Front Rail (Lowered) = 43.5cm / 17⅛” / 1ft 5⅛”

Seat Height – Front Rail (Raised) = 52cm / 20½”/ 1ft 8½”

Seat Width (Leather Pad) = 42cm / 16½” / 1ft 4½”

Seat Width (Between Arms) = 49cm / 19¼” / 1ft 7¼”

Seat Depth (Leather Pad) = 38cm / 15” / 1ft 3”

Seat Depth (Frame) = 47cm / 18½” / 1ft 6½”

Arm Height (Lowered) = 66cm / 26” / 2ft 2”

Arm Height (Raised) = 75.5cm / 29¾” / 2ft 5¾”

Terms & Conditions:

Before purchasing this item, please ensure that you have read and agreed to our Terms & Conditions of Sale.  Furthermore, if you have any questions or concerns regarding these terms, we encourage you to contact us to discuss them in advance.

Product Code: 115885