Summary:

• Item: Mahogany Desk Chair
• Circa: 1920
• Period: George V
• Provenance: England, UK
• Wood: Solid mahogany frame
• Newly upholstered
• Traditional upholstery fillings
• Full-grain new red leather
• Deep buttoned back & seat
• Hand tacked brass studwork frame
• Elegant shaped upholstered arms
• Reclining & height adjustable Hillcrest mechanism
• Splayed mahogany legs
• English-made solid brass & porcelain castors
• Rotates 360 degrees
• Extremely comfortable
• Excellent condition
• Free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy

Description:

This is a fine quality antique English George V mahogany desk chair, with a revolving, reclining and height adjustable mechanism, which has been newly upholstered in red leather, circa 1920 and is in excellent condition.  The chair incorporates a deep buttoned padded backrest and comfortable over-stuffed deep buttoned seat, united by mahogany shaped upholstered arm rests, which makes it extremely comfortable to sit on for long periods of time.  The chair has been newly upholstered to a professional standard in top quality full-grain distressed red leather, finished with hand-tacked brass studs to the upholstered perimeter.  The mahogany chair frame has also been cleaned and wax polished, by hand, to a professional standard, therefore the colour and patination is of a high standard.

The chair sits on four splayed mahogany legs that terminate on English-made solid brass & porcelain replacement castors.  The chair incorporates the original 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 reclining tension can be adjusted by turning the small wheel at the front of the Hillcrest mechanism.  The chair mechanism is in good working order.  The chair has also been cleaned and French polished, by hand, to a professional standard, therefore the colour and patination is of a high standard.  This beautiful desk chair is extremely comfortable to sit on for long periods of time!

This mahogany office chair would look superb in either a traditional or contemporary office or library setting; it would certainly grace any home.

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 (raised) = 95cm / 37⅜” / 3ft 1⅜”
External Height (lowered) = 82cm / 32¼” / 2ft 8¼”
External width (arms) = 63.5cm / 25” / 2ft 1”
External depth = 58cm / 22⅞” / 1ft 10⅞”
Seat height – centre (raised) = 61.5cm / 24¼” / 2ft 0¼”
Seat height – centre (lowered) = 50cm / 19¾” / 1ft 7¾”
Seat width (between arms) = 51cm / 20⅛” / 1ft 8⅛”
Seat depth = 45cm / 17¾” / 1ft 5¾”
Arm height (raised) = 80.5cm / 31¾” / 2ft 7¾”
Arm height (lowered) = 69.5cm / 27⅜” / 2ft 3⅜”
Back height (from seat) = 40cm / 15¾” / 1ft 3¾”

Condition Report:

This is a fine quality antique English George V mahogany desk chair, with a revolving, reclining and height adjustable mechanism, which has been newly upholstered in red leather, circa 1920 and is in excellent condition.  Nominal old use marks to the leading edges of the mahogany chair frame and seat but nothing significant considering the age of the item.  The office chair has been newly upholstered to a professional standard in top quality full-grain new red leather, finished with hand-tacked brass studs to the perimeter.  Therefore, the leather is in excellent condition, with no signs of wear and tear, damage or holes etc.  The chair frame incorporates the traditional brass studwork tacks to the upholstered perimeter.  The chair frame has been glued and tightened to ensure it’s in solid in joint, and then wax polished, by hand, to a professional standard.  The original reclining and adjustable height Hillcrest mechanism are in good working condition.  There is some play to the mechanism but this is perfectly acceptable, and in line with the age of the chair.  This mahogany desk chair incorporates top quality English-made solid brass & porcelain replacement castors, which are in excellent condition.  This item is solid in joint and ready to use.

Terms & Conditions:

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