Expert: Eileen Cronk - 4/21/2006

Question
Hi there Eileen, My grandmother has a Victorian reading chair that belonged to her father-in-law's father, it has exposed wood (oak) at the ends of the armrest with half inch verticle holes through the top and the same size but horizontal going through the sides. I understand how the frame would have worked, but the reading frame is long gone. Could you please point me in a direction to find what it may have looked like and the typical timber it would have been made from. The date on the chair is 1894, it is on casters has nice turned pegs between the armrest and chair frame.
Thank you for your time,
Matt McDougall

Answer
Hi again Matt
An exhaustive search turned up nothing.
The only thing I could find was a Victorian reading stand that sat beside a chair.
Really just a tilted board on a stand. This was made of pine, but if it attached to the chair, it would probably be made of the same wood the chair is.
Regards
Eileen


Hi Matt
Nice to hear from you.
I am going to see if I have a picture of what you seek.
Personally I have never saw the reading frame.
Get back to you tomorrow.
Eileen