Please help date oak chairs

12 years ago

Hello

I purchased 4 of these chairs from a thrift store. I'm guessing they were refinished and recovered in the 1980s. The frames are in great shape. When I got home and started taking one apart I found straw and burlap in the seat. They have springs in the seats and in 3 of the seats the springs are painful to sit on (of course I tested out the 1 good one at the store!) I think they are oak. Does anyone have any idea how old they may be? Let me know if you need more info or pics to help ID.

Thanks in advance! -- Pauline

Front: http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c144/nutmeger/IMG_6728.jpg

back: http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c144/nutmeger/?action=view&current=IMG_6729.jpg&newest=1

profile: http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c144/nutmeger/?action=view&current=IMG_6727.jpg&newest=1

webbing at bottom of chair:http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c144/nutmeger/?action=view&current=IMG_6722.jpg&newest=1

Some of the seat stuffing:http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c144/nutmeger/?action=view&current=IMG_6733.jpg&newest=1

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Comments (4)

lindac
12 years ago
Yeah...Oak....1880's....very nice!!!
nutmeger
Original Author
12 years ago
1880s??!!? Seriously? Holy Cow! I purchased them from a local thrift store (for $20 each and I live outside of Wash DC!) with the intent of changing out the fabric and reselling them. Wow - now I don't want to screw them up :-) The frame and finish are in amazing shape. Its the seats that are a mess. If you were me what would you do? Contact an antique dealer or professional upholstery shop? I really don't have room to keep them. Actually, I have been thinking of starting a small business of finding, fixing up older furniture and reselling the pieces. This is like an antiques roadshow moment :) Thanks !!!
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lindac
12 years ago
If you dig into them, I suspect you will find that the backs were once done in cane. but that seat has been re-done several times.....and that salt hay stuffing sort of bound togehter with twine indicates the era I said.
Are there springs in the seat?
nutmeger
Original Author
12 years ago
Yes, there are springs in the seat - they poke at you when you sit on them. I was wondering about a cane backing too, but I haven't taken them apart that far. Thanks!