What is a Gainsborough chair?

A Gainsborough chair is a wide, open-sided armchair featuring a padded back and upholstered armrests designed for desk work. These pieces typically stand on mahogany legs and provide an upright posture suited to reading.

How do I spot a revival chair?

Revival chairs date from the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries but mimic the proportions and decorative details of eighteenth-century models. Examining the underside, timber maturity, and secondary woods helps determine whether a piece is period or later.

Were these chairs used at desks?

Many library and elbow chairs served specific tasks at writing tables and partners desks in period homes. Their open arms allowed individuals wearing bulky historical garments to sit comfortably without restriction.

What woods were used?

Makers relied predominantly on mahogany and walnut for the structural frames of these library seats. Secondary timbers like oak or pine often appear in the unseen framing beneath the seat squab.