The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1902-04-18
ROCKING.CHAIRs IN HISTORY
NO EVIDENCE or THEIR EXISTENCE
PRIOR TO 1850.

hiVuuuku IuIutUuTc WduuIdCJuFcrS
report an increase In sales from year
to year this Increase does not CORES.
pond to the growth Of population,
In other words, ten years ago, three
or four more people out OF every ten
thousand sat habitually in rocking
chairs than do now.
Early each summer there springs up
a demand for rocking chairs to be de-
livered at the country houses Of city
people. Apparently, so manufacture
ers say, people Of position in the com.
munity do not care at all to rock in
winter, but are extravagantly fond Of
it 10 summer. Through the country
and in the poorer quarters Of the
cities, demands for rockers continues
undated, says the New York Even.
Ing Post.
How enthusiastically the rocking.
chair Is an American institution Is
illustrated by the experience Of
manufacturer OF this city, who, al.
most fifty years ago took one Of his
chairs TO Portugal, where he spent
the summer. Although one-hundred
years had passed since the first rock
ing.chair was made In this country,
none Of them had apparently yet been
seen In Portugal, and people Travelled
miles to look at II and even construct.
ed clumsy limitations.
A manufacturer OF chairs in South
Ashburnham, Mass, who could prob
ably make good claim to the title oil
the greatest living authority on rock
ing.chairs has made special study ol
the origin and history OF the variou.
forms Of chairs, both those now obso
lete and those in use today. He has
found no evidence of the nse of rock
lng.chairs prior to 1850 Up to that
date lie has traced the development
Of the pieces OF furniture used to sit
on without finding either picture OF
mention of any that had rockers.
In letter he summarizes some OF the
results OF bis work as follows:
I'm the first place l have seen chairs
and have photographs Of chairs that
were made in Egypt more than 4,OOl
years ago. From that time down to
the present l have followed the his.
tory OF chair.making and the style OF
chairs that have been used in various
parts OF the world. One of the sim.
plest and most convenient and com
Portable chairs Of ancient times was a
chair used In Egypt some 1900 years
&c. l have seen chair taken from
the ruins OF Nineveh that was prob
ably made about 900 years B. G. Th'
Assyrians were people who indulRet
In luxuries OF various kinds. They hat
their comfortable chairs, cOuches ant
lounges. l have seen various pattern
OF their chairs cut in stone, but flnd
none with rockers. There are various
bas.reliefs in the British Museum
taken from the ruins OF AssyriaI
cities, which show various styles 0
very comfortable chairs, chairs tina
had casters on them, that would NOV
about, chairs with reclining backs
chairs with arm rests and head rests
but l fail to find any with rockers.
shave carefully examined the al
tiquities OF Greece and Rome and tin
various kinds Of furniture for sittin
and reclining, but none with rocker
In fact, my Investigations from Il
most ancient times down to the pre-
ent lead me to conclude that rocke
were never used on chairs prior
1850. am inclined to believe that
was an invention OF 1850. In II
Thomas Chippendale issued volul
and used the following title: r
Gentleman and Cabinet. Makers
rector being a large collection
1 most elegant and useful designs
household furniture In the me
fashionable taste, including a gre
variety OF chairs, sofas, etc. IT
Is In the library In London. 1t h
received a careful examination by !
he and yet there l do not tlnd the use
VI. rockers.
I'd. "In 1902 a man by the name
ID. Shearton published In England bo
Of designs 90 furniture. Many chal
:" are represented in that book, b
none With rockers. In 1908 &. Smi
published q book illustrating fur
ture designs, but there is no allusi
made In a great variety Of designs
he chairs to a rocking chair.
vs. "As there has been q great deal
,t. mIsIu formation circulated In reva
Ok 70 chairs BY would-b4 historlans, I I
be unwilling to place myself on record
'se giving the dste that rockers W
It arst used on chairs. I have seen
'ss rocking -chair that purported TO col
up from the Maynower, but know b
ID, ter, I have seen in printed hists
re OF Z certain man who claimed to
ne the Inventor OF chair.cane. T
'ut mao, according " the would-be
ou toriao, invented. OF rather used u
J Y for chair-seats early 10 tho Lass q
70. tary, abupt Tie year looa and eegt