 |
 |
I seem to recall having seen photos of a chair Jefferson designed at Monticello. Was that a reading-chair or just a chair/desk for paperwork? As I remember it, it was roundish in form. Sorry to be vague - I'm sure someone remembers it more precisely. Roger Kuin York University, Toronto -----Original Message----- From: elizabeth lawrence <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: November 30, 1999 7:38 PM Subject: Re: Reading chairs >The Saltram chair is always explained to visitors as having been designed to >be sat on back to front, and its appearance suggests it - the seat is narrow >at the back and much wider at the front. There is a picture of someone >sitting in it, as described, in R. Fletcher "The Parkers of Saltram" BBC, >1970. It sounds like it might be identical to the one at Belton, having the >bookrest in a sliding brass strip. The bookrest is rather poorly designed >and constructed - it seems to be rather close to the back of the chair for >the comfort of the reader's eyes, it isn't big enough to support anything >much bigger or thicker than a novel (though this was perhaps the idea!), and >the prop that supports it sits in an inadequate groove at too acute an angle >and hence collapses violently if anyone so much as breathes within about 6 >feet of it! I don't know whether it is any more stable with the weight of a >book on it, but it is probably in too fragile a condition to try. > >It seems possible that the Parkers of Saltram were suckers for devious >devices, as the library (whose shelves are not terribly high) also possesses >no less than two sets of steps which fold up into other pieces of furniture. >Perhaps the reading chair came into the same category. > > >Elizabeth Quarmby Lawrence > >Gang Farmhouse, St Ive, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 3NB (01579) 362342 > > > > > > > >At 10:54 PM 11/30/99 +0000, you wrote: >>Chris: (and apologies for cross-posting on the lists) >> >>There is a reading chair in the Library at Belton House, which always >>attracts a lot of attention from visitors. It is probably late 18th >>century - I can check later on its exact description. It has polished >>wooden arms coming about two-thirds of the way round a circle (i.e. not >>a padded back), and a book-rest on a sliding brass strip so that you can >>have the book at any point on the circumference. The idea of this, we >>tell visitors, is so that ladies could sit semi-side-saddle, rather than >>astride as men would do, and still have the book in fromt of them. >> >>Such chairs are also called "cockfighting chairs" from their use by >>spectators of this "sport". I'm sure I have seen illustrations of such >>chairs in use for this purpose - usually by excited young men with pipe >>and glass in hand! >> >>Shall I see you at the LHG on Thursday? I might be able to bring an >>illustration of the Belton chair. >> >>Regards >> >>Peter >>____________________________________________________________________ >>Peter Hoare, 21 Oundle Drive, Wollaton Park, Nottingham NG8 1BN >>Tel/fax 0115 978 5297 E-mail [log in to unmask] >>_____________________________________________________________________ >> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%