Windsor chairs
1730-1830

A Windsor chair is a wood chair whose back and sides consist of multiple thin, turned spindles that are attached to a solid, sculpted seat; its straight legs splay outward and its back reclines slightly. It is not a "high style" piece of furniture, often made by country carpenters. Evidence of hand planing is normally found under the seat of chairs made by hand.

Origins

The Windsor originated in England early in the 18th century, and was first common around the town of Windsor. The withes and bowed shapes that formed the spindles and back wee turned and cut originally near Windsor, hence the name. They were painted green and used as garden chairs.

"Windsor Chairs are believed to have originated in 18th Century England during the reign of King George III. Legend has it, the King discovered the chair while foxhunting. He stumbled upon a cottage during a thunderstorm where he found a plain chair, known as a "stick chair," that had spindles for its back and legs. As the story goes, King George ordered his carpenters to construct these "stick chairs" for Windsor Castle. They soon became known as Windsor chairs." - Ashlan Chairs (May 2011)

One reason for their sturdiness was that parts were made of green wood, which later shrank until the joints were tight.

"English Windsor makers used only woods available to them: seats usually were made of elm, turned parts were made of beech, and bent arms were made of ash and yew." - Gummel Chair Works (May 2011)

It's certain that the Pilgrims brought Windsor chairs to New England in 1620.

In North America, the Windsor chair form was first used in Philadelphia where the chair became hugely popular around the time of the Revolution.

If the Windsor chair developed in England, its form was perfected in America. The main design difference between the English and American versions is the use of a splat (that middle piece in the back of the chair) in British chairs. Chippendale introduced a pierced splat between the rods of the back. Hepplewhite added a wheel-like feature in the center splat.

Colonial craftsmen eliminated the central splat featured in the original chair's back. They also slenderized the splats and legs, and developed, for some models, the 'continuous arm' - that is, the chair arms and back rim are made of a single, bent piece of wood. These alterations simultaneously strengthened the chair while giving it a light, airy appearance.

Windsors come in a variety of styles, including armchairs, side chairs, rockers, and writing chairs. There are even Windsor settees. The spindled backs come in several heights and shapes too, and Windsors are usually identified by that feature: "low back," "comb back," and "bow back."

 
In the early 20th Century Wallace Nutting was the most famous builder of Windsor chair reproductions.

Construction

Windsors are all-wood chairs with interlocking parts that were delicately turned or simply cut.

Fresh-cut oak, chestnut and hickory, which were flexible and could be turned or steam bent while still green, were used for spindles and bent parts.

Legs were turned, set at an angle, and reinforced by turned stretchers. Birch and maple were used for legs. Legs were originally cabriole in shape; later they were made of turnings. Ring-and-vase turnings were typical until about 1800. The larger the turnings, the better the quality.

Birch and maple were commonly used for the arm posts.

The chair’s handholds often were carved into decorative knuckles.

Early chairs made in America usually have stretchers connecting the front and back legs and a cross stretcher connecting the two side stretchers, creating what is known as an "H" stretcher assembly. Birch and maple were commonly used for undercarriage turnings, including stretchers .

Braced backs are desirable (and more expensive).

Bamboo turnings were typical from about 1790-1850.

Ears were sometimes scrolled.

Since different woods had contrasting colors and grains, the chairs were usually painted solid green, red, black, yellow, or white; such paint also protected the wood. After painting, varnish was often applied. Sometimes varnish was mixed with the paint before application. Chairs with original paint are much more highly prized (and more expensive).

"Most chairs made up to and around 1780 were originally painted green. During the fourth quarter of the eighteenth century to mid nineteenth century chairmakers began to branch out into new colors. During this time period it was the trend to paint them red. During the latter part of the nineteenth century the chairs were commonly painted black. Later, American chairmakers began to paint their chairs in brighter colors—black, red, straw, mustard and gold leaf—and decorated them with pinstripes, pastoral scenes, cornucopia and imitation rosewood grain. Many of these motifs were stenciled onto the chair and embellished with bronze powders, bright hand-painted accents and gilt decoration." - Gummel Chair Works (May 2011)

"Patina," an important feature, is basically accumulated dirt.

Saddle seat