Expert: Eileen Cronk - 5/23/2006

Question
I have what I believe to be a turn of the century law office swivel chair. Many years ago, I thought about refurbishing it and when I took apart the leather seat which was torn, it was stuffed with horse mane. The mechanics on the swivel has Taylor Chair Co embossed into the metal. It is also obvious that someone replaced part of the mechanics somewhere along the line. The wood frame had a dark varnish which I stripped to reveal a blonde oak. I am curious about it's history and how old it actually is. Thank you, Tempest

Answer
Hi Tempest
Nice to hear from you.
Heres a bit I found on the Taylor Chair company...
Established in 1816, Taylor's rich heritage spans seven generations in a single family, positioning it as the 28th oldest family business in the United States. Taylor is also the oldest furniture manufacturer in the United States. Over the years, Taylor has earned an excellent reputation for designing and crafting fine office furniture that reflects progressive design and possesses marked quality.
I think you are in the ballpark with your "turn of the century" estimate.
I live in Canada and these chairs come up quite often at auction sales.
They run around $125.00 to $150.00 in fine condition.
If the mechanics are not original, the chair would be worth considerably less.
Hope this helps
Kindest Regards
Eileen