F. Carey Howlett
“So that Every Detail Might Stand out Clearly”: New Upholstery for Thomas Jefferson’s Revolving Chair

American Furniture 2023

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Thomas Burling, revolving chair, New York, 1790. Mahogany with white oak and chestnut; iron, brass, and leather (replaced). H. 48", W. 25 7/8", D. 31". (Courtesy, Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.) This image shows the chair as it appeared before conservation in 2021.

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Thomas Burling, “uncommon chair,” New York, 1790. Mahogany with white oak; iron, brass, bone, and leather. H. 39 3/8", W. 27", D. 32". (Courtesy, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    David Roentgen, fauteuil de bureau, Neuwied, Germany, 1783–1784. Mahogany and walnut; brass, iron, horn, and leather (replaced). H. 36", W. 31 1/4", D. 26 3/4". (Courtesy, Chatsworth House Trust.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Thomas Jefferson’s writing group. (Courtesy, Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.) This pre-1924 photograph contains the earliest known image of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Revolving chair illustrated in fig. 1 after removal of modern upholstery materials. (This and all 2020–2021 photos of the Jefferson and Washington chairs, as well as conservation photos of the Jefferson chair, by Talitha Daddona or F. Carey Howlett of F. Carey Howlett and Associates unless otherwise specified.)

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Underside of the base of Jefferson’s revolving chair showing cross-stretchers with central shaft of the swivel mechanism joined to the laminated circular seat rail. Later pine blocks reinforce the leg joints.

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Upper surface of the base of Jefferson’s revolving chair showing the four inset brass rollers and the central plate forge-welded to the collet for the rotating shaft.

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Detail of the frame of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Detail showing the sheet steel plate secured with fifty-five screws to the bottom of the seat of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Detail showing the square faceted nut used to secure the upper section of Jefferson’s revolving chair to its base.

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Detail showing the bottom of the chair seat with metal plate removed, revealing the dovetails joining the cross-stretchers to the circular seat frame.

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Thomas Jefferson’s writing group, in a photo taken after 1925, showing the chair with plain textile upholstery. (Courtesy, Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.)

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Detail showing glue-bound fibers of probable original leather above the veneer cross banding on the seat rail of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Detail showing the original brass nail pattern of Jefferson’s revolving chair, with square cast brass shanks remaining in some locations.

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Detail of Jefferson’s revolving chair showing the oak nailing blocks that document the original seat height as well as the slope of the crown. The rear seat block is a half-inch lower than the side blocks, indicating a slight backward tilt to the original seat.

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Detail showing the differences in rasp marks and wood coloration which indicate reshaping of the crest rail of Jefferson’s revolving chair. This alteration was probably associated with the later slimming of the back loft profile.

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Close-up of the revolving chair from Jefferson’s writing group illustrated in fig. 4.

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Armchair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ca. 1790. Ash; paint, gesso, bole, gold leaf. H. 36", W. 20 1/2", D. 19". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.) The chair has its original foundation upholstery.

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Detail showing the beveled boxed edge of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Detail showing the current seamed construction of the inner back of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Detail showing the current profile of the one-piece leather seat of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Photograph, ca. 1950s, of Washington’s “uncommon chair” showing leather and apparent twentieth-century cotton batting partially removed from the back. The crisp beveled boxed edge of the original foundation upholstery is visible.

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Central hall, The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee, 1892. (Courtesy, Archives of the Andrew Jackson Foundation.)

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    C. C. Giers, stereoscope image of  Washington’s “uncommon chair,” The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee, 1867–1880. (Courtesy, Archives of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, po404a.)

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    C. C. Giers, stereoscope image of Washington’s “uncommon chair,” The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee, probably 1884. (Courtesy, Archives of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, 247-6.) The slipcover is visible in this image.

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Stereoscope image of Washington’s “uncommon chair” with other artifacts, The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee, 1880–1885. (Courtesy, Tennessee State Library and Archives, #2081.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Detail of the stereoscopic image illustrated in fig. 26 showing the self-welted seam on the seat of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Detail of an original self-welted seam on a backstool, probably England, ca. 1765. (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, acc. no. 1980-186.)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Detail of the stereoscopic image illustrated in fig. 26 showing a likely leather strip beneath a row of decorative brass nails on the inner chair back of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Mock-up of brass nails above the leather strip on Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Detail of the seat of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Detail of the seat of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Detail of the inner back profile of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Detail of the beveled boxed edge on the inner back of Washington’s “uncommon chair.”

  • Figure 35
    Figure 35

    Stacked and friction-fit polyethylene foam simulating the likely original loft of the back of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 36
    Figure 36

    Sculpted foam foundation for the conservation upholstery of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 37
    Figure 37

    Temporary steam-bent oak nailers for pre-stretching leather on the inner back of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 38
    Figure 38

    Dampened and pre-stretched leather drying in place on Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 39
    Figure 39

    Hook-and-loop fasteners placed on the beveled boxed edge of Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 40
    Figure 40

    Mock-up of the self-welted seam for Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 41
    Figure 41

    Brass upholstery nails were cut, riveted, and glued to leather strips before adhering them to Jefferson’s revolving chair.

  • Figure 42
    Figure 42

    Jefferson’s revolving chair after treatment, with conservation upholstery based on the physical, photographic, and documentary evidence discovered during research.

  • Figure 43
    Figure 43

    Side view of Jefferson’s revolving chair after treatment. Note that the brass candle arms visible in figure 1 are not longer present. These were probably placed in old holes in the chair in the 1960s. There is reason to believe the holes originally served another purpose perhaps to support a tray late in Jefferson’s life.

  • Figure 44
    Figure 44

    Rear view of Jefferson’s revolving chair after treatment.