{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O372245"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O372245/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JV8036/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JV8036/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JV8036","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O372245/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O372245","accessionNumber":"538-1872","objectType":"Windsor armchair","titles":[{"title":"Oliver Goldsmith's chair","type":"popular title"},{"title":"Goldsmith chair","type":"popular title"}],"summaryDescription":"Windsor chairs of this type are sometimes described as 'Goldsmith' chairs, from Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774), the celebrated writer of 'The Vicar of Wakefield', who once owned this example.  It was given to the Museum in 1872 in view of its associations with Goldsmith, along with his writing box and walking cane. A Windsor chair is characterised by its construction; the seat is of solid wood, with legs and arm-supports dowelled into it. The name probably derives from the town of Windsor in Berkshire, which is situated on the river Thames and was ideally located as a distribution point for chairs made in the Thames Valley region, where many chairs of this type were made.","physicalDescription":"Windsor armchair of beech and elm, painted.\nThe back is of comb form, with two diagonal stays behind, locating in a small, rectangular extension to the circular seat, which is saddle-shaped on its front edge, and reaching to the top rail, which is curved in plan and also shows a shallow curve on the top edge, with circular form at either side.  The arm bow, with scrolling ends, is made in two sections, cut to shape and joined by a half-lap joint. It is supported at either end on backward curving uprights, or tapering form The uprights, formed with a spoke-shave, run through the arm bow. The legs are heavily splayed and all four show the same decorative turnings. They are joined by three stretchers set in H-form, each swelling in the centre.\nUnderneath the top layer of black paint, green paint is visible. \n\nThe circular 'ears' at either end of the top rail, and the joint in the centre of the arm bow, are both indicative of manufacture in the Thames Valley.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"elm","id":"AAT12070"},{"text":"beech","id":"AAT11948"}],"techniques":[{"text":"turning","id":"AAT53158"},{"text":"shaving (spoke-shaver)","id":"THES277774"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Seat, arms and back rail probably elm, top rail possibly elm, legs, uprights and stretchers beech.","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2017JV8036"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"WW002","id":"THES413467"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Windsor armchair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The form of the top rail, with circular ends, and the use of a lap-joint to join the centre of the arm bow (rather than creating this piece by steam bending wood) is indicative of production in the Thames Valley."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1760-1765","earliest":"1760-01-01","latest":"1765-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"NCOL.472-2011","id":"O1241893"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Given by Lady Hawes","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"96.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"63","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"55.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"43","unit":"cm","qualifier":"of seat","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured NH Nov 2020","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The chair belonged to the author Oliver Goldsmith. He bequeathed it on his death in 1774 to his friend Dr William Hawes, founder of the Humane Society.  It was given to the V&amp;A in 1872 by Lady Hawes, widow of Sir Benjamin Hawes, a descendant of Dr Hawes, together with his writing box, museum number 542-1872, and his walking cane. Consequently Windsor chairs of this type are sometimes known as Goldsmith chairs. \n\nOliver Goldsmith (1730–1774), the Anglo-Irish writer, poet and physician best known for his novel <i>The Vicar of Wakefield </i>(1766), and his play <i>She Stoops to Conquer</i> (first performed in 1773). \n\nAt some point in the later 19th century or very early 20th century Liberty &amp; Co. produced a version of this chair with a solid central splat (presumably and addition to improve comfort). An example was offered for sale by Woolley &amp; Wallis, Salisbury, 19 June 2024, lot 276.\r\n\r\n","historicalContext":"Underneath the top layer of black paint, green paint is visible.  It is possible that this was used by Goldsmith in his London garden, as such chairs for garden use were frequently painted green.","briefDescription":"'Goldsmith chair'. Windsor armchair with comb-back, painted beech and elm, England, 1760-65","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Elizabeth White, ''Polished Perches: The Evidence for English Painted Wooden Furniture in Eighteenth-Century Gardens', in Painted Wood: History and Conservation. Proceedings of a Symposium organized by the Wooden Artifacts Group of the American Institute for Cosnervation of Historic and Artistic Works, Williamsburg, Virginia, November 1994, published by The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1998, pp. 128-142, this chair referred to on p. 131 and ibn note 10. "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Michael Harding-Hill, <i>Windsor Chairs, an Illustrated Celebration</i>.  Woodbridge: Antique Collectors Club, 2003,p. 20"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Parrott, Robert and Boram, John, 'Three Eighteenth-Century Windsor Chairs Possibly Made in Bristol', <i>Regional Furniture</i>, XXVIII, 2014, pp. 97-105.  The V&amp;A chair is discussed on p. 101,  but is not illustrated"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>The Windsor Chair Exhibition at West Wycombe Park</i>, 2012, no. 33.  Text of catalogue by Michael Harding-Hill and Robert Parrott. "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Karlsen, Arne, <i>Danish Furniture Design in the 20th Century.</i>  Copenhagen: Dansk moebel kunst. Christian Ejler's forlag, 2007, vol. II, p. 42, illustrated."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Haworth-Booth, Mark, 'The Dating of 18th Century Windsor Chairs', <i>Antique Dealers' and Collectors' Guide</i>, January 1973, pp. 63-69, illus. p. 63. "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jervis, Simon, 'The first century of the English Windsor chair, 1720-1820', Antiques Magazine, February 1979, pp. 360-366, illustrated as fig. 3."},{"reference":{"text":"The Windsor Chair: An illustrated history of a classic English chair","id":"AUTH345879"},"details":"Illustrated p.28","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"The English Country Chair: An illustrated history of chairs and chairmaking","id":"AUTH345887"},"details":"p.87 & 97 illustrated p.89","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Haworth-Booth, Mark. The Rural Chair: A travelling exhibition arranged by the Circulation Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Circulation Department, Victoria and Albert Museum, St Clements Fosh & Cross Ltd. (printer), H.M.S.O., London, 1973","id":"AUTH346014"},"details":"","free":"The handlist for the exhibition records: \r\n'4. OLIVER GOLDSMITH'S CHAIR. A comb-back in ash with a round saddle-seat, scroll arms terminating a rail made in three pieces. The 'colt's foot' legs are turned and splayed. The two stays, slotted into a tongue at the back of the seat. The chair, formerly green, now black [now green once more] was bequeathed by Goldsmith to William Hawes M.D., founder of the Humane Society, in 1774, and given to the Museum by the widow of Sir Benjamin Hawes, in 1862. It has give the Irish author's name to a well-known Windsor type; a similar one, which accompanied Captain Cook on his last voyage to the South Seas in 1779, is now in the Trinity House, Hull. About 1770.'"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kohei Yamanaga, English Windsor Chair & Japanese New Style, (FDY, Japan, 2017), pp. 98 - 102.  Text in Japanese with some English summaries. "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["538-1872"],"accessionNumberNum":"538","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1872,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2026PM5755"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-10","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}