Double bow beech and elm Windsor armchair made by Ercol.
Identifier
FPF411
Title
Double bow beech and elm Windsor armchair made by Ercol.
Date
Designed by Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976) in 1962, this model made in 2001.
Description
A double bow beech and elm Windsor armchair made by Ercol and marketed as the Chairmaker’s Chair.
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.
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.
Elm.
Physical Dimensions
H. 108
W. 60
D. 63
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: About Us | British Furniture Designers | ercol
Chairmakers Chair | ercol Originals | L.Ercolani
Lesley Jackson, Modern British Furniture Design since 1945, V&A Publishing, London 2013, pp. 41-9
See also: About Us | British Furniture Designers | ercol
Chairmakers Chair | ercol Originals | L.Ercolani
