High Back Reading Chair
A high back reading chair offers deep upholstery and supportive sides designed to block draughts by the hearth.
High Back Reading Chair
A high back reading chair provides an enclosed seating form designed to keep warmth in and draughts out. These pieces appear across several periods, most notably through 18th century examples and 19th century revivals.
The selections here comprise wing armchairs and library chairs featuring timber frames and substantial upholstered backs. Walnut and mahogany form the structural core of many early pieces.
Makers utilised textiles such as leather, velvet, and patterned fabrics to cover the frames. Buyers encounter both original period pieces and later revivals spanning the Edwardian era and the 1930s.
Materials and construction methods
Frames rely on solid timbers including mahogany, walnut, oak, and other hardwoods joined to support the high back and wings. Brass details occasionally appear on castors or hardware.
Upholstery techniques involve heavy padding combined with textiles such as leather, velvet, chenille, and woven fabric. Feather filling provides interior support in select chairs.
High Back Reading Chair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for high back reading chair among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Some chairs hid their reading habits well behind modest calico covers until someone gave them a plaid makeover.
Assessing quality in seating
Quality rests in the integrity of the timber frame and the proportion of the high back and wings. Early examples demonstrate careful joinery and well-balanced proportions that maintain structural stability.
The treatment of the upholstery and the choice of covering material affect the character of each piece. Finer examples retain quality leather or textiles that complement the age of the timber.
Howard And Sons·Whytock And Reid
The High Back Reading Chair Glossary
- Wingback
- An armchair featuring protective side panels attached to the high back. These wings originally served to block cold air near fireplaces.
- Library chair
- A heavy armchair designed for reading rooms and studies, frequently upholstered in leather.
- Carolean style
- A decorative manner originating in the 17th century featuring turned woodwork and carved details, seen in later revivals.
- Queen Anne style
- A form characterised by curved lines and polished walnut timber, popular in earlier periods and later revivals.
- William IV
- A British design period bridging late Georgian styles and early Victorian heavy timber forms.
High Back Reading Chair: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a high back reading chair?
A high back reading chair is an upholstered armchair featuring tall sides designed to retain heat and provide privacy.
These chairs range from 18th century Georgian models to later 19th century and 1930s interpretations.
How were library chairs used?
Library chairs provided comfortable seating for prolonged reading and study in domestic rooms.
They often incorporated durable leather upholstery and sturdy mahogany or walnut frames.
How do I identify a Georgian wing chair?
Georgian examples display specific proportions, classic timber frames in mahogany or walnut, and traditional foot forms.
Later revivals from the 19th and 20th centuries imitate these proportions using period construction traits.
What materials cover these armchairs?
Coverings include tan leather, velvet, woven textiles, calico, and wool plaid.
Frames beneath these textiles consist of solid hardwoods such as walnut, mahogany, and oak.