Sabre-leg chair
Thomas Hope, connoisseur and dilettante, is credited with the original concept of this radical design, but it was George Smith, cabinet-maker and furniture-maker who simplified the neoclassical shape and made the flush-sided chair a practical
Signs ofauthenticity
1. In solid wood, cut across the grain on the side frames so that at no point is the [...]

Hepplewhite shield-back chair
George Hepplewhite started his career as an apprentice to Gillows of Lancaster, and is the first recorded furniture designer to work for a large company of furniture manufacturers. His pattern book, The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide,
Signs of authenticity
1. Correct proportions laid down by Hepplewhite: height of seat frame 17 in, depth of [...]

Chippendale dining chair
Historical background
Designs for Thomas Chippendale’s chairs were freely available once his pattern book, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director was published in 1754 and were
Signs of authenticity
1. Solid, heavy mahogany, smooth and silky to the touch.
2. Underframes of beech, plane or sycamore.
3. Crest rails fitting into tops of side rails where design scrolls [...]

Thomas Chippendale Chairs
THE CHAIRS that Chippendale created and reproduced in his book The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director (1762) offer a sample of the various design trends in the mid to late 18th century, such as Rococo, Chinese, Gothic, and Neoclassical. Chippendale’s name has become generic for 18th-century furniture and, in particular, chairs, but his designs [...]