Elastic Armchair
Made by Samuel Gragg
Boston, Massachusetts, ca. 1808
Oak and various other woods (painted)
On loan from a private collection

Options: Arms
Gragg employed wood-bending techniques to create dramatic curved arms that further enhanced the elastic look of his chairs. Bending wood was much faster and used less material than cutting and shaping curved arms. Gragg also saved time and money by using screws to attach these elastic arms. As is the case with conventional chairs, the armchairs are wider than the side chairs.