chair

[philmac1944]

Can anyone offer me advice on markings on some chairs I am renovating after they
have been rescued from a fire. Under the blistered varnish and on the back of the
seat are the number 344 and initials WR ( upside down ). I assume the 344 is a `model`
number as it is the same on each chair. They seem quite old as each spindle is hand
turned and slightly different. I`ve tried posting a picture but the jpeg file size is too
big - can you please advise how I work around this ?

 

[Penners]

Shrink Pic is a useful free download. It will do exactly what you want.

http://www.onthegosoft.com/shrink_pic.htm

 

[philmac1944]

Many thanks, Penners, I`ll play with that later.

 

[stephenh]

The main reference book for handmade chair makers and their marks is -
'English regional chairs'
Bernard Cotton
Antique collectors Club.

Not cheap. The limits appear to be mid eighteenth C to 1920s so if your item is earlier(!) or later than this, no go.

The index is broken up into regions and in my copy there are at least 20 or so makers with 'WR' as a possible one.

An overall photo of the chair would, perhaps, identify the region and a close up of the stamp would help a lot.

I will happily plod my way through the book and find your maker if you provide the pics.

 

[philmac1944]

Thanks, Stephen. Here goes with Penner`s recommendation...
What a wonderful resource this site is !

 

[philmac1944]

Flushed with success, I`ll try and take a pic of the stamp.
Thanks to you both.

 

[philmac1944]

Hope this helps

 

[Penners]

If it was a relatively modern chair (gazillions of which have come from Eastern Europe), it would almost certainly be made of beech, which it's not.

I'm guessing elm (although others may disagree). As to its age.... phew, who can say? I'm absolutely no expert on the subtleties of dating a chair by its design but I'm guessing it could be Victorian or Edwardian.

It looks stout and well made.

Glad to see that Shrink Pic has done well!

 

[philmac1944]

They be elm and well worn on the seat...

 

[Nigel Watts]

Could it be both elm and beech? The kitchen chair I am sitting on as I write this has an elm seat but all other components are beech.

 

[philmac1944]

Good point, Nigel. The spindles are definitely less grainy.

 

[Penners]

It's possible, of course. Although the very small bit of spindle that's visible in the lower photo might be a bit rough for beech, which normally turns up very successfully and smoothly.

Difficult to be sure.

 

[Moo]

I can't quite put my finger on why, but it looks sort of foreign.

 

[philmac1944]

I wondered that...could it be the scalloped top rail ? Most English chairs of similar
style that I have seen have straight rails.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

My first reaction was that the chair is not english,laternatively the top rail has been jazzed up at a later date. certainly very rustic, late victorian, and really rather charming. Well worth the restoration!

 

[Penners]

I can't quite put my finger on why, but it looks sort of foreign.

I tend to agree. It has a slightly (to my eye) over-ornate design that could be redolent of German/Austrian/Swiss mountain styles.