CH sent me a photograph of a ladderback rocking chair given (tradition has it) to CH’s great-grandparents as a wedding gift from CH’s great-great-grandfather in Ohio.
Let’s describe the rocker in appraiser-eeze: “four-ladder” ladderback chair, early 19th century, turned finials above rounded stiles joining formed arched slats, with shaped arms ending in downward scrolled handholds. The hand-arm rests pegged and doweled on tapering supports, down to a double-stretcher base with turned legs on rocking shoes. The seat is “taped and woven,” usually made of cut ash, or split oak woods. CH’s seat remains in good condition, and appears to have its original old surface patina. The chair is composed of maple AND bird’s eye maple and the construction isn’t glued for flexibility, in the traditional Ohio River Valley technique.
Like many things that seem to stay around forever, the rocking chair celebrated a birthday in the US in the mid 18th century, but not England. Some credit Benjamin Franklin for inventing rockers, originally considered garden furniture. But no hard evidence exists for this hypothesis. Rocking chairs sooth and comfort because upon seating yourself in a rocker, the chair finds your own center of gravity. You rest at an unstressed body angle.
One famous occupant of an ergonomic old rocking chair
A certain young senator from Massachusetts suffered from chronic back trouble in 1953. Dr. Janet Travell sported a P & P Chair Company “Carolina Rocker” in her office and treated the young senator. Dr. Travell ordered one for John F. Kennedy.
When photos of what became President John F. Kennedy in his rocker in the Oval Office appeared in the press, P & P Chair Company managed to hand-produce as many as 250 rockers a day. Of these chairs JFK acquired at least fourteen of the P & P rockers, one of which landed on Air Force One. You can see what we now known as the “Kennedy Rocker” on permanent display at the Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston. And two lucky people acquired Kennedy rockers at Sotheby’s Auction in April of 1996, paying $453,500 for one and $442,500 for the other.
CH’s owns a great American Primitive example of a rocking chair worth $1,000 in the present great condition.