The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, vol. 06, No. 05, May 1900

Step into a compact, illustrated tour of seating history, where the humble chair transforms from a rare heirloom into a staple of everyday life. The narrative traces early wooden stools and ornate thrones seen in Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, then moves through medieval bench‑like church seats and the rough planks of common folk. By the sixteenth century English chairs were treasured enough to appear in wills, and the seventeenth century saw a swing between austere benches and lavish, embroidered thrones as royal taste and political upheaval reshaped interiors.

The second part turns its focus to the golden age of Chippendale, set against a backdrop of a prospering middle class and a post‑civil‑war England eager for comfort. Influences from French, Dutch, Spanish and even Indian design mingle, producing the richly carved, gilded pieces that defined the era. Readers will hear how these designs spread across Europe, becoming the benchmark of English craftsmanship and a lasting symbol of elegance in furniture history.