SAPFM Museum Furniture Collection

Writing-Arm Chair

Ebenezer Tracy (American, 1744–1803)

Writing-Arm Chair, Ebenezer Tracy (American, 1744–1803), 1770–90, Soft maple, yellow poplar, white pine, chestnut, white oak
Maker
Ebenezer Tracy (American, 1744–1803)
Date
1770–90
Medium
Soft maple, yellow poplar, white pine, chestnut, white oak
Dimensions
43 x 36.3 x 18.5 in. (109.2 x 92.1 x 47 cm)
Origin
Lisbon
Museum
Yale University Art Gallery
Accession
1955.33.3
Credit line
Bequest of Janet Smith Johnson in memory of her husband Frederick Morgan Johnson, B.A. 1891
In combining desk and chair, this Windsor displays the ingenuity and efficiency often found in early American utilitarian furniture. The huge balloon-shaped writing arm has beneath it a small drawer, probably for writing tools and ink, and a sliding shelf to hold a candle or inkwell. The massive chestnut seat supports a drawer for storing papers and books.
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