Nancy Goyne Evans
Frog Backs and Turkey Legs: The Nomenclature of Vernacular Seating Furniture, 1740–1850

American Furniture 1996

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Slat-back armchair, Delaware Valley, 1750–1780. Maple and hickory (microanalysis). H. 43", W. 24 7/8", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Banister-back side chair, attributed to Andrew Durand, probably Milford, Connecticut, 1740–1760. Maple and ash. H. 45 5/8", W. 19 1/8", D. 14". (Courtesy, New Haven Colony Historical Society, New Haven, Connecticut; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Fiddle-back armchair, eastern Connecticut, possibly New London County, 1765–1795. Maple and ash. H. 43 1/8", W. 23", D. 17". (Courtesy, Museum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, Massachusetts; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    High-back Windsor armchair, Philadelphia, ca. 1765. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple, oak, and hickory. H. 44 5/8", W. 25 3/8", D. 16". (Mr. and Mrs. James Palmer Flowers collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Low-back Windsor armchair, Philadelphia, ca. 1755–1762. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple, oak, and hickory. H. 28 1/8", W. 28", D. 16 5/8". (Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. McFalls collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Sack-back Windsor armchair, Amos Denison Allen, South Windham, Connecticut, ca. 1796–1800. Chestnut (seat) with maple and oak (microanalysis). H. 36 1/8", W. 22 3/4", D. 15 1/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Fan-back Windsor side chair, Francis Trumble, Philadelphia, ca. 1778–1785. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple, black walnut, oak, and hickory (microanalysis). H. 35 3/4", W. 23 1/2", D. 19 1/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Detail of right crest terminal of the chair illustrated in fig. 7.

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Bow-back Windsor armchair and side chair, Joseph Henzey, Philadelphia, 1785–1790. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple, oak, hickory, and ash (microanalysis). (Left to right) H. 37 5/8", 36 7/8"; W. 20 1/2", 17 5/8"; D. 17 3/4", 16". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Continuous-bow Windsor armchair, Walter MacBride, New York City, ca. 1792–1796. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple and oak (microanalysis). H. 37 5/8", W. 25 1/2", D. 17 3/8". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Square-back Windsor side chair with double bows, Jared Chesnut, Wilmington, Delaware, ca. 1804–1810. Yellow poplar (seat) with maple, walnut, oak, and hickory (microanalysis). H. 33 7/8", W. 18 1/4", D. 16 1/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Square-back Windsor side chair with double bows, Daniel Abbot and Company, Newburyport, Massachusetts, ca. 1809–1811. White pine (seat). H. 33", W. 19 3/8", D. 17 3/8". (Courtesy, Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, gift of Mrs. Arthur M. Merriam.)

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13 Tablet-top Windsor side chair, southern New Hampshire, 1810–1822. White pine (seat). H. 35 3/8", W. 18", D. 15 3/4". (Courtesy, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont; photo, Winterthur Museum.) www.shelburnemuseum.org
  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Slat-back Windsor side chair, New York City, ca. 1809–1815. Yellow poplar (seat). H. 34 3/4", W. 16 3/8", D. 14 1/4". (Private collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Slat-back Windsor side chair, eastern Massachusetts, possibly Worcester County, 1820–1830. White pine (seat). H. 34", W. 17 1/2", D. 16 1/4". (Courtesy, New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord; photo, Heritage Plantation of Sandwich, Sandwich, Massachusetts.)

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Slat-back Windsor side chair, eastern Massachusetts, possibly Worcester County, 1820–1830. White pine (seat). H. 34 1/8", W. 17 3/8", D. 15 1/4". (Courtesy, John Tarrant Kenny Hitchcock Museum, Riverton, Connecticut; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Triple-back Windsor side chair, Joel Pratt, Jr., Sterling, Massachusetts, 1820–1835. White pine (seat). H. 33 3/8", W. 17", D. 15 7/8". (Courtesy, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Roll-top Windsor side chair with raised seat, John D. Pratt, Lunenburg, Massachusetts, ca. 1835–1840. White pine (seat). H. 34 5/8", W. 16 7/8", D. 15 1/2". (Carrie and Raymond Ruggles collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Tablet-top Windsor side chair with scroll seat, central Vermont, 1840–1850. White pine (seat). H. 33", W. 17 7/8", D. 14 5/8". (Courtesy, State of Vermont, Division for Historic Preservation, Old Constitution House, Windsor; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Tablet-top Windsor side chair with banister, central Pennsylvania, 1850–1860. Yellow poplar (seat). H. 34 1/8", W. 18 1/4", D. 15 1/8". (Private collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Tablet-top fancy side chair, Baltimore, Maryland, 1804–1814. Maple, yellow poplar, and mahogany (microanalysis). H. 33 3/4", W. 19", D. 15". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Spindle-back fancy side chair with Cumberland spindles, New York City, 1800–1815. Maple, birch, and yellow poplar (microanalysis). H. 35", W. 19", D. 15 3/4". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Spindle-back fancy armchair and side chair with organ spindles, New York City, 1810–1822. Woods and dimensions unknown. (Courtesy, Old Sturbridge Village; photo, Henry E. Peach.)

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Ball-back bamboo fancy armchair, New York City, 1810–1820. Woods and dimensions unknown. (Courtesy, Old Sturbridge Village; photo, Henry E. Peach.)

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    Detail of tradecard, William Buttre, New York City, ca. 1813. Engraving. 5 7/8" x 4 1/4" (overall image). (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum Library, Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera.)

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Three-stick fancy side chair, Boston, Massachusetts, 1810–1822. Woods unknown. H. 33 1/4", W. 18 1/4", D. 16 1/8". (Courtesy, Collection of The American Folk Art Museum, New York, gift of the Historical Society of Early American Decoration; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Advertisement, Thomas Cotton Hayward, New England Palladium and Commercial Advertiser, Boston, Massachusetts, July 11, 1819. (Courtesy, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Billhead and bill, John Knox Cowperthwaite, New York City, printed ca. 1810–1812, inscribed 1816. (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum Library, Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera.)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Fret-back fancy armchair, New York City, 1816. Hickory, yellow poplar, maple, and ash. H. 33 7/8", W. 19 3/4", D. 16 1/8". (Courtesy, Strawbery Banke Museum, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, gift of Gerrit van der Woude; photo, Bruce Alexander Photography.)

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Fret-back fancy armchair, Connecticut, 1815–1830. Woods unknown. H. 33 1/2", W. 18 3/4", D. 15 1/4". (Courtesy, Rhode Island Historical Society; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Fret-back fancy side chair, New York City, 1815–1830. Woods unknown. H. 33", W. 18", D. 15 1/2". (Former collection of I. M. Wiese; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Tablet-top fancy side chair (also “Circle Chair”), John R. Robinson, Baltimore, Maryland, 1829–1835. Woods unknown. H. 32 1/8", W. 19 1/2", D. 17". (Private collection; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Crown-top fancy side chair with frog back and turkey legs, Connecticut, 1830–1840. Woods unknown. H. 35 3/4", W. 17 3/4", D. 14 7/8". (Courtesy, Rhode Island Historical Society; photo, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Grecian (or scroll-back) fancy side chair with scalloped top, possibly John W. Patterson, Philadelphia, 1830–1840. Yellow poplar, maple, and basswood (microanalysis). H. 32 1/2", W. 17 7/8", D. 16 3/8". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)