15 10 191 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/17f22a56e403d520fa10228a142616d4.jpg 1e04fdbc2a65b77da19212b6b448d98e https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/d50374075f546cc1e16a510019a43db2.jpg 5b0e3fc9eca1fffd76f426dd94b8af9c https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/628f6bb74c74a7c9750568d80c782743.jpg d1bbf8bfe51985c87d0346bf1c523213 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/5e74f83b679714007facd24dba77534e.jpg 3e7087644213d6727fb9dbf7d58390af https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/aac3e9384020dee8c40a089c62294c8e.jpg 6dab2977c7c770b8fc186e4d6d31ba10 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This is a skilful copy of an exceptional 18th century mahogany armchair in the Frederick Parker Collection (FPF112). It features eagles’ heads carved into the crest rail, at the ends of the serpentine arms and in the brackets supporting the front leg joints. The back splat is intricately carved with interlacing and foliage. The front legs are finely shaped cabrioles ending in bold ball and claw feet, while the back legs are also cabriole but plainer and ending in pad feet. The seat is covered with green velvet; an earlier needlework seat cover survives and is kept with the chair. The chair was made in walnut by Frederick Parker & Sons in 1931 and is a good example of how the company used its collection of antique chairs to make reproductions. According to the company archive this style of chair was marketed for £22 with a calico cover; the customer would have been able to select a top cover to suit their own requirements. The present chair was discovered in 1948 in the Maple & Co. furniture store on Tottenham Court Road, London, in their antique and second-hand furniture department, complete with its needlework seat cover. It was bought back by Parker Knoll for a special price of £148, a considerable sum in those days, which reflected the quality of the chair. Condition Good. Materials Walnut. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 94 W. 76 D. 58 Parker Numbers 4779 Provenance Made by Frederick Parker & Sons, c.1930, purchased by Parker Knoll from Maple & Co. in 1948 for £148.0.0. Notes See FPF112, carved mahogany armchair, c.1745, of which this is a copy in walnut. See Frederick Parker Archive, Order No. 4779. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF382 Title A name given to the resource Walnut armchair carved with eagles’ heads, with upholstered seat. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1931 Description An account of the resource A replica walnut armchair with carved back, arms and cabriole legs featuring eagles’ heads and ball and claw feet, made by Frederick Parker and Sons. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/f5a827821dea8b71e319cfb09fbc67d5.jpg 49a4c680e626973fab2ffa5655a02664 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/6ac87372b3c7218d937bc5b3d7b05e9a.jpg 37e4cdfe355c94b23a209dd30bc958ea https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/815370b5d01743ce1bac4bc573300990.jpg 9dde7e6a760bced92791c6971c8d8052 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/c9374b4ebc21b9988090604122d22030.jpg 6b15689ee6c5003d5b6a5662b1201de3 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This iron frame for a reclining chair has a high back with a curved top, now bent out of shape. The seat is square and the angle between the seat and back can be adjusted by means of a geared mechanism. There is an adjustable padded footrest. The arms are curved at the front, and one retains remnants of a padded armrest. The rest of the upholstery has been removed. The chair is on castors. Part of a brass plaque remains under the footrest, inscribed: ‘TONT…’. This was probably an invalid chair, rather than a comfortable reclining armchair. The frame is functional and inexpensive, suggesting that perhaps the chair was used in a hospital or on military campaigns. In 1871, an American firm, George Wilson, patented an adjustable iron-frame chair that combined arms and legs in one section with a seat mechanism, suspended in balance. The chair could be positioned to become an easy chair, a parlour chair, a ‘heels higher than head’ chair, a lounger, and a bed. In 1876, Cevedra Sheldon of New York designed one of the most successful reclining chairs of the period, marketed by the Marks Adjustable Chair Company. Fashionable in America and England, the Marks chair was described by a leading British trade journal in 1889 as: ‘constructed to fulfil the requirements of lounge chair, smoking chair, library chair, invalid chair, deck chair and bed’ (Edwards, 1998-1999). A related brass and iron campaign chair sold Dreweatt Neate, 11 July 2007, lot 250. Condition Almost all the upholstery is missing. Materials Iron. Upholstery fragments. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 114 W. 76 D. 71 Marks Remains of a brass plaque underneath the footrest, engraved: ‘TONT…’. Provenance In the Collection prior to 1993. Notes C. Edwards, ‘Reclining Chairs Surveyed: Health, Comfort, and Fashion in Evolving Markets’, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Fall-Winter 1998-1999, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 51, fig. 10, pp. 52-53, fig. 11. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF388 Title A name given to the resource Iron frame for a reclining armchair. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1880-1900 Description An account of the resource Iron frame for a reclining armchair. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/b6ccebffbd0fc5916786699db05adb72.jpg 5c075da0e80ce46df529a3bc31a48ad0 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/de538152adf47793403477656f490376.jpg 874ee16da1b03e5330d3665fb6584162 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/3ccfd0bc801d5594104ad63f8c4b92ae.jpg e3ee8a25ca29167f1a959c3c0c40f842 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This back-rest has a rectangular back with a serpentine top, with buttoned upholstery. It has upholstered wing sides and shaped arm rests, which are upholstered on the inner face. A beech square-section ratchet frame with a turned rail at the base allows the angle of the backrest to be adjusted. See FPF395 for a similar back-rest. This back-rest can probably be categorised as invalid furniture for use in bed. In The Cabinet Dictionary (1803), Thomas Sheraton describes a ‘bed chair for sick persons’ with an adjustable back that had ‘side wings at top as a fence to the head, projecting out about 5 inches, and two stump elbows’ (Gloag, 1991). An identical design was included in William Smee and Sons’ Designs for Furniture (Joy, 1994). In the early 20th century, the firm of J. Foot and Sons was known for their luxurious rest chairs in addition to their invalid furniture: ‘Among items which cannot fail to be acceptable to an invalid there is, for example… A back rest to supplement the pillows, which can be fixed at any angle…’ (Country Life, 1914). Materials Beech. Pine. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 64 W. 61 D. 33 Provenance Acquired by the Frederick Parker Foundation c.2000. Notes J. Gloag, A Complete Dictionary of Furniture, revised and expanded by C. Edwards, Woodstock, 1991, p. 199. Ed. E. Joy, Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, Woodbridge, reprinted 1994, p. 265. ‘For the Sick and Wounded’, Country Life, 26 September 1914, p. 10. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF389 Title A name given to the resource Upholstered back-rest. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1850-1870 Description An account of the resource Upholstered back-rest. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/adc7c86f7995d9bc39f9d40f9eaa8aaf.jpg 7beadb5f495314947100b7171216f441 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/9f6eecd9faf2af507474ab2df7a72843.jpg 817599df616698ee7555c195f89f7876 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/b4f3bbc0e6fcddedee80622a071a332b.jpg e31d72e86075f8d69f2f81763decf2d4 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/2c03daf895ceb59ad9c843a25c23aa50.jpg ba104106753a65a515e821963adb4758 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This oak gout stool has a concertina frame adjustable by means of two ratchets which allow the stool to be raised or lowered. There are brass hooks which keep the ratchets in place. The stool has lost its top panel, which would probably have been upholstered; there are holes in the side rails which would have been for fixing the panel with pegs or screws. This oak stool is a close copy of gout stools made in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, usually in mahogany. A. Hepplewhite and Co.’s The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide; or, Repository of designs for every article of household furniture, 1st edition, 1788, included an illustration of a gout stool, and stated: ‘the construction of which, by being so easily raised or lowered at either hand, is particularly useful to the afflicted’. An identical design for this gout stool was featured in The London Chairmakers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices (1823) (Joy, 1994). Condition Top panel (probably upholstered) missing. Two brass hooks missing. Materials Oak. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 25 W. 64 D. 43 Provenance In the Collection prior to 1993. Notes J. Gloag, A Complete Dictionary of Furniture, revised and expanded by C. Edwards, Woodstock, 1991, pp. 368-369. Ed. E. Joy, Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, Woodbridge, reprinted 1994, p. 264. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF393 Title A name given to the resource Oak gout stool frame. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1870-1890 Description An account of the resource Oak gout stool frame. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/716827778532239f98377c3630dd37ca.jpg 1b3f8d13e618e2f1f2961c81adffa110 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/99c511ec5b8388738bc84e87de780869.jpg 01751b3113ebc19bc38bea17c6774305 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/42c9c2b900a6879b7e727ad142518607.jpg 2cb0d8ca828ed1af5ca15cccb065e2c6 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This back-rest has a rectangular back with a serpentine top, with buttoned upholstery. It has upholstered wing sides and shaped arm rests, which are upholstered only on the inner face. A mahogany square-section ratchet frame with a turned rail at the base allows the angle of the back-rest to be adjusted. The upholstery is possibly original. See FPF389 for a similar back-rest. This back-rest can probably be categorised as invalid furniture, for use in bed. In The Cabinet Dictionary (1803), Thomas Sheraton describes a ‘bed chair for sick persons’ with an adjustable back that had ‘side wings at top as a fence to the head, projecting out about 5 inches, and two stump elbows’ (Gloag, 1991). An identical design was included in William Smee and Sons’ Designs for Furniture (Joy, 1994). In the early 20th century, the firm of J. Foot and Sons was known for their luxurious rest chairs in addition to their invalid furniture: ‘Among items which cannot fail to be acceptable to an invalid there is, for example… A back rest to supplement the pillows, which can be fixed at any angle…’ (Country Life, 1914). Condition Left side hinge replaced. Materials Mahogany. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 64 W. 61 D. 44 Provenance Not recorded. Notes J. Gloag, A Complete Dictionary of Furniture, revised and expanded by C. Edwards, Woodstock, 1991, p. 199. Ed. E. Joy, Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, Woodbridge, reprinted 1994, p. 265. ‘For the Sick and Wounded’, Country Life, 26 September 1914, p. 10. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF395 Title A name given to the resource Upholstered back-rest. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1850-1870 Description An account of the resource Upholstered back-rest. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/4325368c52ee273b01f140a09f73d670.jpg a46ae41d4805e4a808a8cb1118b1d321 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/e16fd11f6c1a6191a3642531186b0215.jpg 0920ee0292396212e7dd11f232956cd2 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/62cf039a90a8f51a8358f9244a126d17.jpg e3b4d92bff812a1a182472f474e86631 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/f1a5edb5e0d55178a04cebde7ba8bd4a.jpg 87ecf0f24886ff8a07d50e6dc698a4aa https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/e283c362755099f289f0c210e7396952.jpg 5f78a80aa17a11245f91b758bf8c955e https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/52f37a2cfb52327e3890950dbbf054b2.jpg f85ce77a5353b5af9aadf6c189608717 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/d31f75ded756c952b285864360038ae3.jpg c210d6920cb6179df1636d218be004a7 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This is a rare survival of an 18th or early 19th century exercise machine used indoors to simulate the action of riding a horse. The ‘rider’ would pull forwards the retractable footrest, mount the leathered cushion, grip the sidebars and push him or herself up and down on the sprung seat. The idea seems to have been introduced during the first half of the 18th century. In a newspaper advertisement of 1740, Henry Marsh of Clare-Market, London described himself as the inventor. Gillows appear to have been making them before 1790 since they refer to one in a letter of that year saying that it was ‘let out for a short time’ and in January the same year they supplied a chamber horse to a client, Mrs Lindow (Stuart, 2008). Thomas Sheraton was the first to publish a design, in 1793, which included a cross-section through the seat to show how it worked. This chamber horse in the Frederick Parker Collection is very similar to the Sheraton design and its reconstruction to working order in 1985 was based on it. Sheraton wrote that the inside ‘consists of five wainscot boards, clamped at the ends; to which are fixed strong wire twisted round a block in regular gradation, so that when the wire is compressed by the weight of those who exercise, each turn of it may clear itself and fall within each other. The top board is stuffed with hair as a chair seat, and the leather is fixed to each board with brass nails, tacked all round’. This would appear to be the first published design for coiled iron springs which were to become almost universally used in upholstery and mattresses from the 1840s right up to the present. Before this period the development of springing had been concentrated on carriages and stage coaches which had to negotiate rough country roads and cobbled streets. In the present case the springs are used for their mechanical action rather than for comfort, although there are references to sprung seat furniture in Germany and France as early as 1765, apparently used with ease of sitting in mind, but not necessarily referring to coiled springs. Condition Fully restored to working order in 1985. Upholstery, seat boards and footrest replaced. Materials Mahogany. Oak. Steel springs. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 89 W. 74 D. 56 Parker Numbers OM 1769. Provenance The frame was purchased by Frederick Parker & Sons, August 1912, for 5 shillings. The working parts were missing. Notes Susan Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Antiques Collectors’ Club, 2008, Vol. II, p.93. Thomas Sheraton, The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book, 1793, Appendix, plate XXII. A similar chamber horse is illustrated in Geoffrey Wills, English Furniture 1760-1900, Guinness, 1979, p. 151. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF399 Title A name given to the resource Mahogany chamber horse. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1790-1810 Description An account of the resource A chamber horse for indoor exercise, comprising a leather-covered sprung seat within a mahogany frame. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/3a851979bbabd4a113fd14968c31445c.jpg 6d837bba9731a20e7feb8e6b6e3784c7 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/54cc6a1361121cdcec54410ae9d2709b.jpg 4b20fd331f85fd658710dedff0f30adc https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/f454eca654ae505189687db9aceefac6.jpg ff3e97550f26b0f122de044c8e581c32 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/bfe4a0771bca957a595d441ea4359bf3.jpg 6e13109197800dc44099dcc2c2ae75ae Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This upholstered reclining armchair has a folding iron frame. The high rectangular back, seat and foot-rest are upholstered and buttoned in dark green leather substitute. The arms have padded armrests, covered in the same material. The sides of the chair are open and the sinuous-form cast iron frame forms part of the decoration. The legs are fitted with porcelain castors. The upholstery and leather substitute covering are modern. Folding iron chairs and chair-beds were considered ‘invalid furniture’, designed to provide ease to the suffering as opposed to luxurious reclining chairs made of mahogany, oak or walnut; these were sold as ‘club, reading room or boardroom chairs’ and were established furniture in gentlemen’s rooms (Edwards, 1998-1999). From the mid-19th century, the number of specialist suppliers of invalid chairs increased, with makers like John Alderman patenting the ‘Graduating elastic self-adjusting invalid chair’ in April 1855. This chair was designed so that ‘the back, the arms, the seat and leg rest are made to work at the same time, so that not a muscle of the patient need to be disturbed’ (ibid.). In 1871, an American firm, George Wilson, patented an adjustable iron-frame chair that combined arms and legs in one section with a seat mechanism, suspended in balance. The chair could be positioned to become an easy chair, a parlour chair, a ‘heels higher than head’ chair, a lounger, and a bed (ibid). Condition One castor is missing. There are modern replacement screws on the chair back frame. The recliner mechanism is jammed. There is some rust on the iron. Materials Iron. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 101 W. 78 D. 135 Provenance In the Collection prior to 1993. Notes C. Edwards, ‘Reclining Chairs Surveyed: Health, Comfort, and Fashion in Evolving Markets’, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Fall-Winter 1998-1999, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 46, 51, fig. 10. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF404 Title A name given to the resource An iron framed upholstered reclining armchair. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1870-1890 Description An account of the resource An iron framed upholstered reclining armchair. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/1fb6c3131459d632f29baab808f1369e.jpg 04c81d1f7b00e78a6161f939d4e07d75 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/e0928f8bc92bc8639de55afd5011fe01.jpg 0b826685135056b10fb68a89dbc21dc2 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/be91651ca99836ec40375fd8c5474bc7.jpg 88a551eab1e604448f3ae3767f84e077 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/2637bcce3c0936c9cedf8e702a7c52c9.jpg 6957c2299141103bd3c867633cc2f1f2 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/69c8aea20bad8cdff2c73aa3ac01e45a.jpg 71092823aa899c68e5c0510567df7537 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This side chair has a concave tablet back rail with reeded mouldings, with square-section back posts and two narrow rails, also reeded; the reeding is lined with black paint. The posts are continuous with flared back legs, narrowed just above the seat, and flared and tapering below. The stuff-over seat is tapered and raised on turned and tapering front legs which terminate in ‘toupie’ feet (toupie is the French term for a spinning top). The close-nailed horsehair cover and upholstery are original, although the cover is badly damaged and the straw and horsehair stuffing are visible. It is rare to find chairs of this period with the original upholstery intact, so this is an important survival. The tablet top rail became fashionable from around 1800 (Fastnedge, 1965). A similar design was illustrated in The London Chair-Makers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices for Workmanship, 1807-11, with an option for turned or sabre front legs. Condition Tablet rail loose. Original upholstery, the horsehair cover torn leaving stuffing exposed; webbing in poor condition. Materials Mahogany. Upholstery. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 81 W. 49 D. 47 Provenance Purchased by the Frederick Parker Foundation in 2001. Notes R. Fastnedge, ‘A Manual for Georgian Chair-Makers’, Country Life, 10 June 1965, pp. 1440-1443. The London Chair-Makers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices for Workmanship, 1807 with supplements in 1808 and 1811, plate 3. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF409 Title A name given to the resource Mahogany side chair with tablet back. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1800-1820 Description An account of the resource Mahogany side chair with tablet back and upholstered seat. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/3e159cf99275581e10e4cd753567bb67.jpg a2ce5925513210d04138992b471e4838 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/755492c5703f80a46d91d6bfbb4d8771.jpg 057bdbb488d087b807dff2d8edde3ebb https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/501a35a4e3f63290b6e9e332d875974c.jpg dfb393853cd892c895fb2ebbac2c789a https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/6f48d270b776d77322f60863e272bd3f.jpg 1f368d5fa2776bbe88c336f26cc60aa5 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/200ed2cfaeadadcfc6a6c5158a301751.jpg df9b7a7ed29633fef98d768830454379 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/3f097e0c6f07a07f2218995204cd4e68.jpg 4d13b1f043f5338c2b31aa69dc93db18 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This green polypropylene stacking chair with white-enamelled tubular steel legs was designed in 1964 by Robin Day OBE (1915-2010) for S. Hille & Co., London (from 1972, Hille International). The seat is made by injecting hot molten plastic under pressure into a cooled split mould (injection-moulding). This version may be made of recycled polypropylene, called polyspex, introduced in 1990. The innovative rolled-over edge gives the chair structural stability whilst allowing some flexibility. Four bosses are integrally moulded on the underside of the seat and the tubular steel leg frame is screwed into these with self-tapping screws. This method proved very successful and was subsequently copied by other manufacturers. The first version of the polypropylene chair, Mark 1, popularly known as the ‘Polyprop’ chair, was launched in May 1963 and was remodelled in 1964 with a wider seat to become the Polypropylene Mark II Chair. Robin Day recognised the potential of polypropylene for mass-produced furniture manufacture – the material was stronger, lighter, more flexible and resilient than moulded plywood or glass-fibre. This thermoplastic, invented in 1954 by the Italian Nobel Prize winner, Guilio Natta, becomes soft and malleable when heated. Although the initial cost of the moulds was expensive, the polypropylene shells could be made quickly and were cost effective, their economy deriving from the fact that 4,000 seats a week were produced from a single mould. The Frederick Parker Collection includes a pair of fibreglass patterns used in the development of the Mark II chair, see FPF496. The polypropylene chair is one of the most commercially successful British furniture designs of the 1960s, with the Mark II winning a Design Centre Award in 1965. It was elegant, comfortable, ergonomic, hard-wearing and stackable; it proved ideal for utilitarian environments such as the stadium for the Mexico Olympics in 1968, where 38,000 seats were fitted. Over 14 million have been sold, it and it remains in production to the present day. The chair was originally available in charcoal grey, light grey and flame red, with further colours added thereafter. The Frederick Parker Collection owns a second Mark II Chair, FPF417, which is in charcoal grey, and another chair designed by Day, FPF486. Born in High Wycombe, Robin Day studied at the Royal College of Art in London from 1934-38 where he met his future wife, Lucienne, the renowned fabric designer. The pair represented the progressive spirit of post-war British design; Day’s lifetime ambition was ‘designing things that most people can afford’. In 1949, Day and fellow-designer, Clive Latimer, won a competition organised by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to design low-cost furniture, with their entry for a modular storage system made of tapered plywood and tubular aluminium. A direct result was Day being employed initially as a director, and later as design consultant, of S. Hille & Co. Ltd., an association that endured for 20 years and helped to make Hille one of the Britain’s most progressive furniture manufacturers. There are different colourway versions of the polypropylene chairs dated 1963 in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (CIRC.15-1966, CIRC.15A-1966, CIRC.15B-1966). Condition Good. Materials Polypropylene or possibly polyspex. Steel. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 75 W. 51 D. 48 Marks Moulded on underside of seat: ‘Hille Made in Great Britain Robin Day Design’. Parker Numbers Two chairs, FPF410 and FPF417, were donated by Robin Day/Hille to the Frederick Parker Foundation in 2002. Provenance L. Jackson, Modern British Furniture Design Since 1945, London, 2013, p. 173. L. Jackson, Robin and Lucienne Day: Pioneers of Contemporary Design, London, 2001, p. 120. Notes R. Fastnedge, ‘A Manual for Georgian Chair-Makers’, Country Life, 10 June 1965, pp. 1440-1443. The London Chair-Makers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices for Workmanship, 1807 with supplements in 1808 and 1811, plate 3. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF410 Title A name given to the resource Green polypropylene stacking chair, Mark II Chair designed by Robin Day. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Designed 1964, manufactured 1990-2000. Description An account of the resource A green polypropylene stacking chair with tubular steel legs, Mark II Chair designed by Robin Day, manufactured by Hille International. https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/341de5f20b74b7ac88b82484d6c78c45.jpg 8858b76b7c0615558051d5b7c906fc5a https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/cef92aa3b30a61ebebaaeb8a1b62e017.jpg 0d9de28be0257767e0b20609afb7ec93 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/f1955050c4ff476e7edc3103f6b1cf4a.jpg 3ab4ff8e3f5f55799904a2421438d680 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/45df65aa35846cbbf8db4731c7bd027d.jpg 637ec7e502ca3c48d3772f873d62c4f9 https://www.frederickparkercollection.org.uk/files/original/5865dec5ee3109f58221492ecd928bd0.jpg 1436a9773e0734fe19c442fc7689b4d6 Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Full Description This beech and elm armchair is based on traditional Windsor chairs but was made by Ercol Furniture Ltd. using precision manufacturing technology. The chair has a double bow, one for the back and one for the arms, of steam bent beech; the back has a shaped central splat and four turned spindles on either side, while the arms, which rise towards the front, each have a turned arm support and three further spindles. The splat, spindles and arm supports are all fitted into the top of the elm seat, which is curved and sculpted to provide a comfortable sit. The turned and shaped legs are splayed and joined by a ‘crinoline’ form stretcher, i.e. a curved stretcher between the front legs and two short rails to the back legs. The legs are dowelled through the seat from the underside, with the dowels wedged from above in the traditional manner, creating an extremely strong joint. The chair was designed by Lucian Ercolani in 1962 and was initially referred to as the 472 Double Bow Fireside Chair; it was later known as the Chairmaker’s Chair. It was awarded a Guild Mark by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers in the same year and has become a classic, still in production to this day. This example was made in 2001. Ercolani said of the chair, ‘My new chair was inspired by an old one that I bought 40 years ago for £35. The old chair is badly warped because when it was made craftsmen did not know how to condition wood, but it is still a comfortable chair. I have wanted to use its basic design for years but only recently have we the machines able to make it better than the old craftsmen.’ (Jackson, Ercol, 2013). Ercolani re-invented the traditional Windsor chair in the 1940s by mechanising its production, using steam kilns to dry the wood accurately and developing or adapting machinery to ensure every part was made with engineering precision. Ercol’s first production model Windsor chair was a simple kitchen chair with the reference number 4A, manufactured from 1947 (ibid). They proved to be durable, economical and elegant and were in great demand both during the Utility years and for decades after. Ercol has since developed the Windsor theme to produce not only chairs but a wide range of furniture. Lucian R Ercolani (1888-1976) founded his company, Furniture Industries Ltd., in 1920 in High Wycombe, having previously worked for Frederick Parker & Sons (later Parker Knoll). The company grew rapidly in the post-war decades as a result of the successful development of the Windsor Contemporary range and have maintained that success in producing high quality in a distinctive style ever since. The company name was changed to Ercol Furniture Ltd. in 1958 (Jackson, Modern British Furniture, 2013). For comparison with an 18th century Windsor armchair in the Collection see FPF142. Condition Good. Materials Beech. Elm. Physical Dimensions The physical size of the object H. 108 W. 60 D. 63 Marks Small metal Ercol label on the underside of the seat. Provenance Donated to the Frederick Parker Collection by Ercol Ltd. in 2001. Notes Lesley Jackson, Ercol, Furniture in the Making, Richard Dennis Publications, 2013, pp. 31-43 and p. 109. Lesley Jackson, Modern British Furniture Design since 1945, V&A Publishing, London 2013, pp. 41-9 See also: <a href="https://www.ercol.com/en-gb/about/ercol-ethos/">About Us | British Furniture Designers | ercol</a> <a href="https://www.lercolani.com/en-gb/furniture/chairs/7911-chairmakers-chair?variant=899">Chairmakers Chair | ercol Originals | L.Ercolani</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FPF411 Title A name given to the resource Double bow beech and elm Windsor armchair made by Ercol. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Designed by Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976) in 1962, this model made in 2001. Description An account of the resource A double bow beech and elm Windsor armchair made by Ercol and marketed as the Chairmaker’s Chair.