Thonet's bentwood chairs were staples in cafes, and his rockers graced millions of hearths. Michael Thonet, an Austrian cabinetmaker who lived from 1796 to 1871, was obsessed with innovative design. In 1830,Thonet experimented with ways to steam and bend beechwood from the local forests into curved and sturdy, graceful chairs. By 1853, he had opened his own shop, Gebruder Thonet, and by 1860 was producing bentwood rocking chairs with woven cane seats and backs. Thonet's innovations included the first, affordable, factory-produced, assembly-line chairs that could be shipped in pieces and easily assembled. The Prototype The Schaukel-Fauteuil No. 1 is the first bent beechwood, solid cane-woven rocker, created by Michael Thonet in 1860 in Koritschan, Moravia. The early rockers were stained dark -- either black, hazelnut or mahogany, in contrast to the lighter woven cane seats and backs. The rockers curve around the side of the seat, round over the front and sweep into an open, slightly upturned end, finished with a small scroll.
The sinuous arms and spiraling front legs and seat supports taper at the tips into nearly closed curved hooks. Sales of the first bentwood rockers were slow, but, as the style gradually caught on, Thonet added tufted upholstered seats and backs and changed the configuration of the curving wood. Evolving Styles The basic design remains unchanged, but slight variations in style over the years point to various dates of manufacture. The Thonet museum displays an 1880 rocker with simple, unembellished curved arms, a side support under the seat that starts as a front spiral and ends in the back as a deep U with a slight curved tail. The rockers are an unbroken curve of wood in font, ending in a slightly up-curved, plain tip in back. An 1883 reclining rocker was all closed curves with a continuous cane lounge seat. The back rockers curve completely around and the shorter arms are low and have a wide bentwood overlay. A 1904 rocker, with an upright seat, featured elaborate scrolls on both sides, plain curved rockers, and higher two-piece arms.
The changing styles help to identify the period in which a Thonet rocker was produced. Markings and Authentication The rockers were "signed" in several ways. Some chairs were stamped on the seat frame or somewhere on the underside of the chair. Others had a glued label in one of those unobtrusive spots. The labels are obviously fragile and may not have survived, so the absence of either the stamp or label is not conclusive proof that your Thonet rocker isn't genuine. The Thonet company will try to identify a real Thonet for you from photographs of your chair, and you can contact them through their website to arrange for an evaluation. Limited-Edition Rockers In 2009, Gebruder Thonet issued a limited edition of the original Thonet bentwood rocker. Only 25 of the collector's-edition rockers were made, each in stained beechwood, in a choice of mahogany, black or hazelnut stain with the trademark woven cane seat and back. Each piece was numbered and came with a hand-signed certificate of authenticity, so identifying the 190th anniversary Thonet rockers involves little guesswork.
The older rockers take a bit more sleuthing, but, by examining the bentwood styles, hunting for marks or paper labels, and tracing the provenance of a piece, you should be able to come close to figuring out the age of your collectible rocking chair. References Thonet: Thonet, the StoryBedroom Furniture Spot: Michael Thonet and His Bentwood Rocking ChairsDesign Museum: A Century of Chairs: Late 1800sArchitonic: Thonet Collect Photo Credits Hulton Archive/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionBentwood RockerBentwood Rocking Chair MakeoverFurniture UpdatesFurniture MakeoversWaxed FabricMiller FurnitureStain ResistanceDuck CanvasFurniture StoreForwardRESTYLED CALIFORNIA BENTWOOD ROCKER This rocker has been painted in Annie Sloan Paris Grey, distressed and dark waxed. Fabric is duck canvas in light grey and has been treated for stain resistance. Dimensions are 21 1/2 in wide x 36in deep x 40 in tall. ***Message seller for local delivery options within 150 mile radius*** For other uses, see Rocking Chair (disambiguation).
A rocking chair or rocker is a type of chair with two curved bands (also known as rockers) attached to the bottom of the legs, connecting the legs on each side to each other. The rockers contact the floor at only two points, giving the occupant the ability to rock back and forth by shifting their weight or pushing lightly with their feet.[2] Rocking chairs are most commonly made of wood. Some rocking chairs can fold. The word rocking chair comes from the verb to rock.[3] The first known use of the term rocking chair was in 1766. A rocking chair designed by Swedish painter and furniture designer, Karin Bergöö Larsson Rocking chairs are often seen as synonymous with parenting, as the gentle rocking motion can soothe infants. Many adults find rocking chairs soothing because of the gentle motion. Gentle rocking motion has been shown to provide faster onset of sleep than remaining stationary, mimicking the process of a parent rocking a child to sleep. Rocking chairs are also comfortable because, when a user sits in one without rocking, the chair automatically rocks backward until the sitter's center of gravity is met, thus granting an ergonomic benefit with the occupant kept at an un-stressed position and angle.
Varieties of rockers include those mounted on a spring base (or platform) called "platform rockers" and those with swinging braces commonly known as gliders. A photo of man lounging in a rocking chair while reading Though American inventor Benjamin Franklin is sometimes credited with inventing the rocking chair, historians actually trace the rocking chair's origins to North America during the early 18th century, when Franklin was a child. Originally used in gardens, they were simply ordinary chairs with rockers attached. It was in 1725 that early rocking chairs first appeared in England. The production of wicker rocking chairs reached its peak in America during the middle of the 18th century. These wicker rockers, as they were popularly known, were famous for their craftsmanship and creative designs. Michael Thonet, a German craftsman, created the first bentwood rocking chair in 1860.[8] This design is distinguished by its graceful shape and its light weight. These rocking chairs were influenced by Greek and Roman designs as well as Renaissance and colonial era artistry.
During the 1920s, however, folding rocking chairs became more popular in the United States and in Europe. They were handy for outdoor activities and travel purposes. By the 1950s, rocking chairs built by Sam Maloof, an American craftsman, became famous for their durability and deluxe appearance. Maloof's rocking chairs are distinguished by their ski-shaped rockers. President John F. Kennedy made the P & P Chair Company's rocking chair famous. In 1955, Kennedy, who suffered with chronic back problems, was prescribed swimming and the use of a rocking chair by his physician. The President so enjoyed the rocker that, after he was inaugurated in 1961, he took the chair on Air Force One when he traveled around the country and the world. He bought additional rockers for Camp David and for the Kennedy estates; and he gave them as gifts to friends, family, and heads of state. Kennedy's rocking chair from the White House is on permanent display at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. Per the manufacturing design, the Kennedy Rocking Chair is shaped, steam-bent, and assembled while the wood is still "green."