Hitchcock chair reproduction

We've always liked the style of a Hitchcock chair. Even bad reproductions of the chairs generally will add some pizzaz to most homes.

We found this reproduction Hitchcock at an auction by Kruse Auction Service, last year in Gibson City, IL. A couple of us were lusting over it. You'll see why later.

From 1826 to 1840, Lambert Hitchcock made about 200,000 chairs in his factory in Riverton, CT and in the 1830's he was known as America's greatest chairmaker. His chairs are among the most famous pieces of furniture in American history.

The chairs were made to be decorated. Most of them had rush seats and were made in twenty parts. Several basic designs were used, but the most typical chairs were straight chairs, about the size we use around our dining room tables today. Sometimes the chairs had arms.

The earliest and best Hitchcocks were made and decorated by master craftsmen who signed their work. Some of these chairs were grained to look like a different wood than what they were actually made. For example, a maple chair might be grained to resemble more elegant rosewood or mahogany.

After this graining, designs were applied free-hand in gold leaf, or more frequently with stencil in gold or bronze powders. Stencils were done on a black background. The fine chairs of this type were done in multiple stencil, which gave depth to the design and is one of the surest indications of a "good chair."

After Lambert Hitchcock's death, cheap imitations of his chairs were made both in his factory and in other parts of the country and they are still being made. The craftsmanship may not be as good as the originals, but you can still get a very good look at a very reasonable price.

We liked this chair for several reasons:

1. The classic Hitchcock style goes well with many different decors, including colonial, classic, country, and contemporary (especially with this black enamel finish with gold accents).

2. The size is nice - small enough to fit most anywhere (a corner, at a desk), yet large enough to encompass a full size rear end comfortably.

3. The quality is very good. We guessed it might be an old Ethan Allen produced piece, since there were other Ethan Allen pieces in the auction. No manufacture marks could be found on it.

4. The condition is excellent. We found no scratches and all the gold detailing was in perfect shape.

The price? We know you're going to be sooooooo jealous - $3.00. That's right. We paid just $3.00 for this fine reproduction accessory piece. Now you know why we were fighting over it.