Side Chair 1825 - 1828

This side chair was made in the United States, sometime in the first half of the 19th century by Lambert Hitchcock. Although we might think of furniture as purely functional, chairs like this one also carry social meanings. Hitchcock was one of the first to mass-produce furniture, streamlining production with interchangeable parts and assembly-line techniques. This made furniture more accessible to a wider range of people, and transformed the way Americans furnished their homes. Notice the stenciled decoration. This was a cost-effective way to add visual interest without the expense of hand-painting. To understand Hitchcock's innovation, we can look to business records, patent applications, and the material culture of the period. His approach reflected a broader shift towards industrialization and mass consumption that was changing American society. By examining the chair in its historical context, we can appreciate its significance as a reflection of changing social and economic forces.