| Sack Back Windsors |
| The first Sack-back chairs were referred to in the old inventories as "sack-backt" chairs and were developed in Philadelphia sometime during 1769. They were quickly accepted and were widely used during the 1770's and even more so after the revolutionary war. Based on the surviving examples, it can be assumed that for approximately fifty years they were one of the favorite Windsors forms, far more popular than the low backs. They were comfortable, durable, relatively inexpensive, very portable, and attractive and they lent themselves admirably for use in public buildings. Production moved quickly northward to hamlets, river towns, and large cities. Although considerably fewer were made in New York than in Philadelphia, New York chair makers introduced a bold, markedly different turning pattern - one that exaggerated bulbous turning forms. The chair was especially popular in New England where Connecticut and Rhode Island chair makers also developed design characteristics different from their southern counterparts. Sack-backs always have an arm rail and it is redundant to refer to them as armchairs. In both form and construction they are derived from Philadelphia Comb Back armchairs. Although on Sack Backs, from the arm rail upward, the back spindles (seven or nine) are contained within a bent bow. The ends of this bow are tenoned to the arm rail, thereby forming a sack; hence the name. In other words, the bow containing the spindles is tenoned to the arm rail rather than to a horizontal crest. Folklore has it that the bow was designed to accommodate the practice of pulling a sack over the back of the chair to protect the sitter from drafts. |
