The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-12-20
ABOUT The HOUSE.
little RomanceS That Are Linked
With Its Furnishings.
EVOLUTION OF THE CHAIR.
The Leisurely Progress From the Three
Legged stool to the Luxurious Rock
er-origin OF the Table Orawer-Ths
First Picture Frames.

First Picture Frames.
II YOU only knew It. queer little ro-
mances are pceping out at you all over
your house, from attic TO cellar. They
are well worth looking for.
Framed pictures had 10 have begin
ming They date back To about 500
years ago, when peaceful monks paint
eel the walls OF their living rooms with
Scrpmral subjects. Then one day
some one conceived the bright idea OF
mailing wood around these frescoes 50
ms 10 separate the subjects. little
later came gilding-and the evolution
of the modern picture frame was sim
ply matter OF time.
The drawing room IL n perfect mine
of history. AS most people know. this
is. strictly. the withdrawing room,"
10 which one withdraws after dinner.
ms the name implies
The antimacassars over the backs OF
the chairs similarly carry their object
in life In their name These more or
less artistic things had their begin
nings some 100 years ago, when every
one used macnssar oil for the hair.
The mistress of the household then
would no more permit greasy polls to
spoil her hne chairs than would tho
modern mistress And 10. the anuma-
Cassnrl
or chairs themselves. perhaps tho
most interesting feature In the familiar
crossbar-tec chnicnlly known as tho
stretcher-w which joins the front legs
Nowadays it's purpose In usually for
ornamcntntlon, sometimes strength.
though often II IN absent altogether.
II hnrks bnck TO the days OF the nrSt
chairs. when knights and danes want
cd TO keep their feet of the cold.
drafty. rush Uttered floors; hence
the stretcher Originally the stretch
er was only n few inches above the
ground. but when, later on, rugs and
carpets came into more general use
and rooms became more comfortable,
the strctcher gradually lost Its impor.
tance.
II is curious TO note that the coxy'
armchair was the last stage OF all.
Cushions and padding were the Grst
additions 20 the plain seat Then
came painted chairs and aftcrward
carved legs. and flnally-a leisurely last
came backs and arms and with them
the luxurious rocker
I'm point OF fact the chair i- easily the
most important piece OF furniture you
hnve. historically speaking. To this
day, taking the chair" denotes taking
the head OF affairs. reminiscent OF tho
time when there was only one chair In
room. three legged stools at the most
being provided for less important folk.
Window curtains, again. have their
little romance. Originally all windows
were I'm the roof. but In time came open
windows I'm The wall In the middle
ages some one brought from China the
idea OF using cloth TO cover tho win
dows, and there IL the origin OF your
curtain. with It's frils and loops.
The glass chandelier. II you have ono
they are out OF fashion now-can be
put down TO the workmen refugees
from France driven from their homes
by Louis XIV by the revocation Of the
edict OF Nantes In 1885
Even the drawer In the kitchen tnble
ANY table drawer. for the matter or
that had 20 be thought OF, but nobody
did manage TO think Of fixing drawer
10 n table until some inveterate card
playcr-his name IN forgotten wanted
hnndy place for the cards when they
were not In use. The very thing. And
table drawers were invented
Kitchen" by the way. Is derived
from an Anglo-SaKon word meaning
ito cook" while "scullery"-w which pos
itively has nothing TO do with soul
lion" comes from a word meaning a
bowl"
Some OF your furniture may well
have nm English political biasi II GER
tnlnly IL so II II bears that familiar de-
sigu based upon the Prince OF Wales
feathers IIcpplewhite, the famous fur
niture designer. began H. In his time
there was u strong Tory party support
Ing George III. while the Whig party
was headed by the Prince OF Wales.
Hepplcwhte was an ardent Whis
and accordingly introduced Prince OF
Wales feathers into his furniture de-
signs on every possible occasion. In.
cidentnIly the sofa Is IN importation
from the ense loving Arubs, whose
"sunah" was long bench outside the
house
And. finally. "hall' simply means
place which Is covered In. and the word
comes from exactly the same root as
the inferuni rcgOnsl - Philadelphia
Ledger