Yet another Hunzinger chair.

I especially admire the furniture of George Hunzinger, an innovative 19th Century N.Y.C. furniture designer and maker. I have previously posted 2 other chairs by Hunzinger. To see more about them, go to my Profile to connect to those postings.

Recently, I came into possession of yet another Hunzinger chair. The frame appears to be walnut. Hunzinger was granted patent # 88207 on 3/30/1869 for the cross brace used. I especially like the simple diamond inlay on the back. The ebonized incised turnings on the stretchers and rails give an almost bamboo-like effect. On other chairs of this type, they may be picked out in blue or red. To me, there is an almost Neo-Gothic flavor to the design, reminiscent of furniture by say H.H. Richardson. A big difference is that this chair is a rather diminutive and tight design. Compare it to the "universal folding chair" I posted previously. That one has a rather Victorian "over stuffed" soft appearance. The subject of this posting is lean and angular.

The seat and back are composed of woven plush covered metal strips (steel?; if so, a rather innovative use of a then modern industrial material). On April 18, 1876, Hunzinger was granted patent # 176314 for "chair seats and backs" using this method of construction. It would appear that patent # 237535 for the use of plush covered metal strips was granted to Hunzinger on 2/8/1881. However, the actual idea for the use of metal strips for seats may in fact have originated with a Chester Flynt.

The die stamping on the back of the proper left leg refers to Hunzinger's 1869 and 1876 patents.

Overall, the chair survives in reasonable condition. It was sure used. The seat has some losses which is typical of this type of chair. Of note, each of the corners of the seat frame have a nail hole. I surmise that at one point, a board was nailed onto the seat so that the chair could continue to be used. It turns out that that was a very good thing as it protected the seat from further losses/damage.

For more information, see Hunter Oatman-Stanford's article which appeared on this website: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/furniture-of-the-future/ Cut and paste the URL into your navigation bar. I do believe that the first chair shown has had the plush covered metal straps replaced with cord or twine. Alas, not an uncommon "repair" for chairs with this type of seat and back. Once those strips are gone, there are few options for replacement if you wish to have a usable chair.

I would also strongly suggest seeing "The Furniture of George Hunzinger: Invention and Innovation in 19th Century America" by Barry Harwood. For an in-depth discussion of these "mesh" chairs, see pages 86-105 and the figures therein. An example identical to mine is shown on page 93, figure 100. Chester Flynt is also discussed