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Chair

A work made of iron, walnut, cane, and upholstery.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of iron, walnut, cane, and upholstery.

Date:

1876

Artist:

Cevedra B. Sheldon
American, 1840–1895
Marks Adjustable Folding Chair Company
American, 1877–1897
New York

About this artwork

Patent furniture reached the height of its popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century. This folding chair was patented in 1876 and touted in advertisements as “the king of all chairs.”
It could be adjusted into numerous positions by utilizing the lever on the seat rail and was used variously as a lounge chair, an invalid chair, a smoking chair, or a bed. Most likely exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, this chair was prized for its durable materials and comfort in addition to its versatility.

Status

On View, Gallery 176

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Cevedra B. Sheldon

Title

Chair

Place

New York City (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1876

Medium

Iron, walnut, cane, and upholstery

Dimensions

115.6 × 71.1 × 72.4 cm (45 1/2 × 28 × 28 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Stefan T. Edlis

Reference Number

1984.722

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/102774/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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