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Posted 10 years ago
DonnaV59
(1 item)
This rocking chair was in my grandparents cellar in Springfield, MA. I've been told it's over 100 years old. I'm in the process of getting it restored, and I would really love to know more about it. The man doing the restoration told me that he has never seen one like it. I would greatly appreciate any information anyone can provide.
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Welcome to cw :-) It's a great chair. I hope you find the information needed to restore it to its original beauty. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Restoring it before you know what it is normally isn't the best thing to do. I can tell you it isn't a Shaker chair. It is fashioned after a Shaker but the joints are all wrong. The chair is or was worth researching before refinishing it. None the less it is a good piece.
Thank you for the feedback fhrjr2.
The gentleman restoring the chair found a mark on the underside of the arm toward the back. It has Burdett & Colveti, Keene NH. I will post a picture of the mark when I pick the chair up tomorrow. He said that the chair had about 5 different finishes on it, and one of them seemed to be some sort of marine varnish (which isn't surprising as my grandfather was a house painter and could probably get his hands on something like that easily). I have found some information on a Burdett Chair Mfg. in Keene NH, but nothing with a connection to Colveti. Any ideas?
I lived just outside Keene for years and found the following in the town history. Neither the town or Cheshire County listed any information on Colveti. I would love to see the mark on the chair. The company was actually started by Burdett in Munsonville/Nelson and perhaps the name Colveti was before the move to Keene. Both Munsonville & Nelson are eye blink towns so information on their history may be limited and may or may not be recorded in county archives. In that the company wasn't incorporated until after Burdett sold it there may have been a partnership that was never recorded.
The Burdett Chair Manufacturing Co., manufacturers of basket-
seat chairs filled in splint and rattan, was founded in 1850 at Nelson
and sold to George L. Burden, who moved it to Keene in 1876. From
that year until 1881, he operated a mill on the corner of George
Street. Then he erected a plant of five large buildings and in 1888
incorporated the business under the name of the Burdett Chair Mfg.
Co., which became well-known for its "basket seat" chairs. George
Burdett originated the manufacture of rattan and splint filled chairs
in New England. About 1905 Fred E. Lane bought the business and,
after rebuilding the factory, continued the manufacture of porch chairs
until 1933, when the machinery was sold to the Carey Chair Co. and
the land to Earl Davis.
I'll get a photo of the mark and get it posted. He said that he could have been wrong about Colveti because it the mark was very difficult to read, even with a loop. Thank you again fhrjr2.
If you can preserve the mark on the chair and it can be verified it should have really good value. Researching the mark of an unincorporated company in NH during the 1800's may present quite a challenge. Most of the old timers who did restoration for the historical societies up there are either dead or senile now. Bob Richardson could have told you everything about the chair just looking at it. I am trying to think of who is left up there that might either know or know where there is another example to compare it to. Let me think about this.
I have a cousin on the Keene police department and a couple of ex wives up there along with other friends and relatives. I will shoot off some emails and see if I can round someone up that might be able to help.
PS: Yes I collected wives also.
Too funny...LOL. I appreciate the assistance.
Well...on the down side, I don't know where my guy got the word "Colveti" from. To me it just looks likes it says "Burdett Chair Mfg Co". Of course I'm looking at zoom in of the mark, and not with the naked eye. Also, I thought he said the mark was on the underside of the arm, but it is on the top of the arm. Now if I can just figure out how to add more photos.
You can't add more. You either delete some and replace them or do a new post. I have a guy in Peterborough, NH (just east of Keene) who may be able to identify the mark or chair. He has a really nice art gallery and antique shop and also an auction where he only handles high dollar items. He is older than I am believe it or not and very reputable. When I lived up there I had him put some of my items in his auction and I was more than pleased with the results. Are you in or close to that area? If not I will get his email address for you and you can send him photos and inquire.
No, I'm in northern VA. An email address would be great, thank you.
I just looked up a mark on an old rocking chair that I acquired from a summer job in the 70's.... And found this post....same mark. Thank you for the info!