Charleston Easy Chair

Wood: primary: mahogany; secondary: poplar,
Finish: aniline dye, amber shellac

I made this Thomas Elfe Charleston easy chair (pad foot, no knee carvings), the original of which is at MESDA, by virtue of a class with SAPFM's 2011 Cartouche Award winner, Ben Hobbs. (See also, "Charleston Queen Anne Easy Chair: A Study in Their History and Design", by Steve Dietrich, in Volume XI 2011 edition of American Period Furniture and Carlyle Lynch's measured drawing, "Easy Chair.") Like cats, two easy chairs are better than one, so I made a second version with claw and ball feet and acanthus leaf knee carvings thanks to Tony Kubalak's book, Carving 18th Century American Furniture Elements. The chairs were upholstered by fellow SAPFM member, Mike Mascelli. (See Mike's article, "Affordable Upholstery for a Period Reproduction Chair", in SAPFM's Volume IX 2009 edition of American Period Furniture. Fabric coordinated by A. HICKMAN Design of Fredericksburg,VA.