Well, guys... here is the chair I drove down to San Diego for. (actually Escondido) It will need quite a bit of restoration, but I am extremely happy. A brief history. This chair was in my Great Great Grandfather's barber shop on State Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was the first barber shop in the city and opened in 1852, or thereabouts. I'm not sure when the chair was in the shop... whether it was in the earlier or later years. [vbpg]536[/vbpg] You can see where the red velvet was under the leather at one time... The family story goes that it was covered in leather because of all the farmers, cowpokes, and sheep herders. Apparently, they were a little rough on the velvet [vbpg]537[/vbpg] This is a little closer look. I'm hoping sombody out there will be able to help my restoration process by offering anything they know about this type of chair. There are extra hole drilled, pieces missing, and I haven't figured out how the foot rest attaches to the chair. Anybody have any info... please share it with me. I'm more interested in difinitive answers, but guesses are also welcome. Just let me know which one you are offering. [vbpg]538[/vbpg] Here is a close up of the swans on the hand rest. Is that cool, or what? [vbpg]539[/vbpg]
That is a wonderful story and family history behind it. It is also a very handsome chair! I bet it will look just amazing when it is all spruced up! Best of luck with the project.
Bill, that should turn out to be a fine looking chair when you are done. Couldn't find any pictures that looked like yours, just this tidbit- 1880's The average shop at this time cost approximately twenty dollars to equip and were ten by twelve feet in size. The shop consists of a straight-backed chair with a head piece resembling a crutch, a basin of water, a piece of common soap and a brush, 'setting' chairs and enough towels to last a week. "One towel to every ten to twelve customers." Hair cuts were five or ten cents and shaves were three cents. Best of luck with the project!
Now this is a guess, but based on the location of the holes and the fact that the moulding around the back only runs up to where the holes are, the holes were probably how the footrest was attached, so maybe there is a fitting missing that goes with the footrest? Nice chair, BTW. Are you going to replace the leather? Then again, it might look good with the red velvet restored, too. Interested to see which way you go on that.
First question before I forget. Does anyone have to scroll to the right to see the entire photo? I didn't reduce my file sizes when I uploaded them. I'll change them if they do that. I haven't decided whether or not to restore with velvet or leather. I'm leaning towards tan leather right now. I don't have the foot rest. It probably got thrown out years ago. I'd sure like to know, myself. I'm not even sure how to research it. I was thinking patent office, but don't know if furniture companies or tradesmen would have applied for one or not. I thought it was pretty cool that the eyelet to fasten the strop to the chair is still there. You can barely see it at the elbow end of the right arm rest. It's bent down, but still there. What kind of bird is this anyway? Swan... egret... what? [vbpg]541[/vbpg]
I will include some pics of the underside of the chair. Maybe someone can give me hint as to how this thing is supposed to work. One metal face plate is missing from one side, but the screws to hold it are still there. I'd like to know what they were for, as well. Here is the side that is missing. You can also see where my grandfather repaired the leg brace with new wood. [vbpg]544[/vbpg] This is the other side with the plate in place. [vbpg]545[/vbpg]
Here it is without the cushion. I don't know what the holes are for. Directly beneath the holes at the front edge of the seat are two dowels. They were apparently used to attach something else in that location... but I don't know what it could have been. Check out the scroll work at the end of the bird's mouth. It looks to me like it is suggesting that the bird is vocalizing. [vbpg]542[/vbpg] This is from a different perspective. [vbpg]543[/vbpg]
I have a postulation. Anyone think that another plate attached to the bottom of the chair seat? Maybe it had a rod coming off of it that went into the hole in the plate to allow the chair to tilt back? I say that because of the rectangular wood pad just above the hole in the chair seat frame. It looks like it may have been where it rested on the leg framing when it was tilted back.
Bill, based on this picture, I think you were right about the tilting mechanism. And the holes are probably where the footrest attached in front of where the legs kinda curve back in on lower front. Here is another shot on the cover of a price guide. Not exactly like yours, but another example of some early configurations.
Hey Bill, nice chair. Just wanted to know if you are going to refinish the wood. Myself.... I think I'd try and keep most of whats there now. Give it a good cleaning and re-amalgamate the finish. I can't tell if it's lacquer of shellac or varnish, but you could bring that old finish up to looking almost new while keeping that good looking aged stain in tact. I hope you don't plan on stripping it, too much history in that finish. I've got lot's of experience with sort of thing and I know this chair can have a new life. Good luck with the project and keep us posted. Dennis
These pieces can be made to look as if they were always there. With the use of stains and glazes they will blend beautifully in with the existing wood. I've done many restoration jobs for museums and libraries. The existing wood should be cleaned with mineral spirits or turpentine to get rid of any wax and dirt. Use a rag or toothbrush or very fine steel wool for this. The new wood needs to be stain matched (this is where a good eye comes in) you don't want to match the stain perfectly to the old finish, the final match to finish will come with the use of a glaze. Then to reamalgamate the old finish, you would use the appropriate thinners for that type of finish, I'm gonna guess it's a lacquer. So, using lacquer thinners and a NEW clean bristle brush (buy a good one, Purdy brushes are good) you then apply a wet coat of thinners over the old finish, keep the brush wet at all times. Never dry brush it! The thinners will re-activate the old finish and any scratches or crazing or alligatoring will start to disappear. This will probably take more than two applications. The old finish will look nice and shiny for a while. After thorough drying time the finish will become dull. After it's dry use 0000 steel wool to buff the finish. Do it very lightly and with the grain. If there are any thin spots in the finish you should apply another coat of lacquer finish, this time to the whole piece of furniture (new wood also). When you are happy with it, buff it again with the wool LIGHTLY!, then tack rag it and then apply a good hard paste wax and buff, buff, buff till your hearts content. :happy093 Dennis
Dennis... Great info and easily understood. It is appreciated. By any chance, can you tell what kind of wood it is from looking at the photos? The stain that was originally used has a redish hue to it. I won't guess what I think it may be because that's exactly what it would be - a guess. I think Lyrt is right about the footrest. I also think the two holes in the seat frame are where the chair was made stationary by adding screws at those locations. Right now, the chair does not tilt, but I can tell that it should. I think the lighter colored pieces of wood near the front of the seat actually replaced some kind of metal support system for the footrest. The dowels on the underside front panel of the chair could not support an entire footrest system all by itself. This is the bottom of the seat. [vbpg]554[/vbpg] Here is a straight-on pic that shows the dowels hanging from the front panel of the chair. [vbpg]555[/vbpg]
Hey Bill, I'm gonna call it MAHOGANY. Won't swear to it, but a lot of the old barber chairs were made with mahogany. Do you have any good side views of the fine piece? I'm trying to see IF this chair tilted because I know many of the old (150+ years) barber chairs did not tilt. I'm getting very curious about this chair, and a bit excited for you as well. Can't wait to see the finished piece!!!
MY GAWD BILL!!!!!!!! You gotta look here!! http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-1800s...ryZ63567QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem It's your chair on Ebay. BUCKEYE BARBERS' SUPPLY DAYTON, OHIO. And it does tilt and has a separate foot rest.
