CHAIRS  country and kitchen : wooden seated, 1860-1930
This section also includes chairs for institutional and office use, made in large quantities by mass-production methods. On the whole they are more durable than rush-seated chairs and tend to be perennially favourite types such as the Windsor which is still going strong. In the mid- and late 19th century large quantities of simple chairs were produced for the expanding markets available: some of them were of attractive design and are now coming to be appreciated as cheap, pleasant and functional chairs.
Starting with the Windsor, which goes back to the mid-18th century (see Price Guide to Antique Furniture) some forms of chair have been produced over very long periods. The illustration shows a typical 19th century Windsor with robust baluster turning (look at the arm supports) and a curved, or ‘crinoline’ stretcher. This stretcher adds more value than an ordinary, turned one. Manufacturers’ catalogues show such chairs up to the 1914-18 war. Later versions tend to be less robust, however. 1830-1920
The ‘Windsor’ chair remained in use and manufacture throughout the period, as indeed it still does. Above are some straightforward mass-produced Windsors as retailed by almost every department store and furnisher.
1860-present day Wheelback arm, spoke-back arm.
A version of the wheelback, without the two diagonally-sloping extra spindles of 218 and 219. The turning of the legs is elegant and lacks the extra turned collars which embellish the later types and make them look more mass-produced.
Windsor chairs from the Maurice Adams’ catalogue of 1926, showing how the wheelback form is virtually unchanged from the previous examples from a catalogue of 1908. The wheelback ‘carver’ shown below, has slightly more robust baluster-turned legs but the single chair is no different from the 1908 version. The cabriole-legged wheelbacks follow an earlier 18th century design, with ‘crinoline’ curved stretchers. The arm chair has the curved support to the arm as against the later, turned armed support on the turned-leg
chair.
Cabriole-leg single chair and turned-leg arm chair.
Two of the most commonly-produced kitchen, country, office or institutional chairs throughout the period. On the left a single chair, usually in beech or birch with an elm or beech/birch seat. On the right, a stick-back with broad top rail, of slightly Windsor derivation. 1860-1930
The smoker’s bow is now a popularly-hunted chair, fetching as much as 120 for certain versions in London. Good examples with opulently-turned fat baluster legs, like the one illustrated, are still to be found for much less  around 90 each  and thin, lesser versions for about 60. 1850-1940
A late 19th century chair which is a cross between a Windsor and a kitchen or office chair. It is very ornate, as the turning and the fretting of the centre splat show. There are still plenty of them about, although there has tended to be a drain of all these types of chair, particularly the Smoker’s Bow, to the export trade. 1850-1940
A typical kitchen armchair of the 19th century, on turned legs, much beloved of schools and other institutions up to the present day. Usually made in birch or beech and stained or varnished a dark colour. Sometimes the seat is made of elm. When stripped of stain or varnish to their natural colour, these chairs are often a pleasant golden brown.
Another 19th century country or kitchen chair, with a pleasantly arched and spindled decoration in the back. The seat is made of elm and the rest a pleasant, golden-coloured beech. The design was used for a long time; Shoolbred had it in 1876 and Skull in 1913. 1850-1920
A very pretty late 19th century chair with a seat which has been recovered. Usually these chairs had an impressed plywood seat, with a pattern embossed by pressure in it, usually finished in a lighter colour than the background. 1870-1900
A Worksop chair with robust baluster-turned legs and characteristic notched curved ends on the top rail. A fine example of this type of chair.

CHAIRS — country, Northern England
These chairs fall into distinct categories and can normally be allocated to various parts of the country. Basically, they are either ladderbacks, with or without a top rail, or backs made up of vertical spindles. A great deal of research has been and is being carried out on this subject. For more information see an article by Bill Cotton, who has studied this subject in depth, on ‘Country Chairs’, Antique Collecting Vol.8, No.6.
From left to right, top to bottom-Wavy line ladderbacks. A similar chair is in a Hogarth print c.1730. There are a number of variations of these Yorkshire chairs which are hardwearing and generally considered the best of the type.
1730-1800    Armchair
A variation from the Midlands, missing half its top rail. Again, good quality but the back design is perhaps not quite as well balanced as the first example.
1740-1830    Set of two  six
The Macclesfield variation of the second category. Again the rush seat comes over the front rail as with all chairs of this type. 1740-1840
The Wigan shape of ladderback is again seen on these wooden seated top-rail types with shaped front rail. A carver is very seldom found. 1760-1840
The third main type, the spindlebacks predominantly from north Cheshire and south Lancashire. It is thought that the further north the chairs were made in Lancashire the thinner the spindles. Another variety has two lines of spindles with a top rail between the uprights often with some Chippendale design feature on it. They are lighter and are thought to come from Liverpool and Manchester. 1750-1840
Quite a different variety coming from Ormskirk or the Preston area of Lancashire. Very robust. 1840-1900