A good quality English antique revolving office chair, from the Edwardian period, made from solid beech, incorporating a reclining & height adjustable mechanism, with a newly upholstered green leather seat, circa 1910, in excellent condition. 

Summary: 

• Item: Antique Revolving Office Chair 

• Circa: 1910 

• Period: Edwardian 

• Provenance: English, UK 

• Wood: Solid Beech 

• Fan-back design 

• Large supportive bar shaped top rail 

• Fan back vertical supports 

• Reclining & height adjustable mechanism 

• Elegant shaped arm supports 

• Newly upholstered in distressed green leather hide 

• Restored working Hillcrest mechanism 

• Splayed legs 

• Vintage steel castors 

• Rotates 360 degrees 

• Reclining back action 

• Height adjustable 

• Very comfortable 

• Cleaned & serviced mechanism 

• Very good condition 

• Free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland* 

• 14-day free UK returns policy 

Description:

A good quality English antique revolving office chair, from the Edwardian period, made from solid beech, incorporating a reclining & height adjustable mechanism, with a newly upholstered green leather seat, circa 1910, in excellent condition. 

The English antique revolving office chair is designed with a curved bar back, supported by lower fan back supports. The back secures to shaped arms on elegant vertical shaped supports. The back and arms connect to the seat, which has been newly upholstered, to a professional standard, in top quality full-grain green leather.  The underside of the seat has been re-webbed in the traditional manner. The English antique revolving office chair sits on four splayed beech legs that terminate on English vintage steel castors. The chair incorporates a restored and cleaned Hillcrest 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, while the tension of the reclining action can be adjusted by turning the small wheel on the front of the mechanism. The English antique revolving office chair mechanism has been restored and serviced and is in good working order.  The chair is extremely comfortable to sit on as it features a lovely upholstered seat with a high back. 

The English antique revolving office chair boasts a rich brown mahogany colour, similar to mahogany.  The desk chair has a lovely colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received. 

This English antique revolving office chair would look superb in a variety of rooms in the home, especially the office or study as it is so comfortable. This item 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-officechair#:~:text=Mid%2D1800s%3A%20Victorian%20Design,sits%20in%20the%20Brooklyn%20Museum  

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) = 65cm / 25¼” / 2ft 1¼” 

External Height (Raised) = 86cm / 33⅞” / 2ft 9⅞” 

External Width = 65cm / 25⅝” / 2ft 1⅝”

External Depth = 52cm / 20½” / 1ft 8½”

Back Height (From Seat) = 37cm / 14½” / 1ft 2½” 

Seat Height – Seat Pad Centre (Lowered) = 45.5cm / 18” / 1ft 6” 

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

Seat Height – Front Wooden Rail (Lowered) = 41cm / 16⅛” / 1ft 4⅛” 

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

Seat Width (Leather Pad) = 43cm / 17” / 1ft 5” 

Seat Width (Between Arms) = 48cm / 18⅞” / 1ft 6⅞”

Seat Depth (Leather Pad) = 39cm / 15⅜” / 1ft 3⅜” 

Seat Depth (Frame) = 44.5cm / 17½” / 1ft 5½” 

Arm Height (Lowered) = 64.5cm / 25⅜” / 2ft 1⅜” 

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

Condition Report:

A good quality English antique revolving office chair, from the Edwardian period, made from solid beech, incorporating a reclining & height adjustable mechanism, with a newly upholstered green leather seat, circa 1910, in excellent condition.  The seat has been newly upholstered, to a professional standard, in top quality full-grain green distressed leather.  The reclining and adjustable height mechanism is in good working order, having just been cleaned and restored.  There is some play to the mechanism but this is perfectly acceptable, and in line with the age of the chair. The English antique revolving office chair boasts a rich golden-brown colour, having been cleaned and French polished by hand, to a professional standard, in our workshops. The English antique revolving office chair incorporates vintage steel castors, which are in good condition.  This desk chair is solid in joint and ready to use. 

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.

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