Walnut side chair, wainscoat type, frame construction with pinned mortise and tenon joints. Shaped crest rail secured with one pin. Baluster-shaped center splat secured with a double pinned mortise and tenon joint and rests on rail above seat level; rail has molded lower edge. Rail at seat back is raisedabove seat level & has same molding as above rail. Plank seat (replaced) of two boards is pinned to chair rails. Bottom edges of all 4 chair rails have molded lower edge. Front legs are baluster-shaped; back legs are square, although they taper in thickness from seat level to top. Back legs also have a backcut front face from stretcher to floor, and curve back. Box stretchers have the same molding as rails above, but are molded on both upper and lower edges.
Probably Lancaster Boro
Provenance
Probably owned by Anthony Schneider (1725-1774) due to the belief that this chair was in his inventory after death. His 1774 Inventory lists a set of 4 walnut chairs. At his death he was living on the site of the Kirk Johnson Building on W. King Street. Anthony Schneider was the father of Gov. Simon Snyder(1759-1819) who was born in Lancaster Borough.
Chair descended through the Fisher and Mertz families. Chair believed to have been purchased by antiques dealer Dick Jones of Muncy, PA, at the "Fisher family sale" at the Isle of Que (section of Selinsgrove), circa mid-1960s. Purchased by restorer Peter Deen, who replaced the seat. Deen sold to Vonnie Haynes, a "minor dealer & major character in Adamstown" who sold it to Neil Kamil, then to museum. (See letter of 18 Apr 1991 from N. Kamil in file.)
Moderate wear overall. Front stretcher very worn. Previous chair owner and furniture conservator, Peter Deen, of Nottingham, PA, replaced seat. Metal corner braces & screws removed. Scratches on left chair rail.
Object ID
P.92.01
Notes
Patricia J. Keller states "a similar side chair is in a private collection outside Pittsburgh, PA, and another is in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (#'28-10-99, see photo in file).
Peter Seibert notes this chair relates closely to the furniture made in rural northern England during the 1600s and 1700s. It combines elements of different styles, William & Mary and Queen Anne.
Gov. Simon Snyder (1759-1819) served three terms from Dec. 20, 1808 - Dec. 16, 1817 as the first of many Penna. German governors of Pennsylvania. After his election of 1808, he was reelected a few years later by a landslide.
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Chippendale high chest, mahogany, ornately carved, Phila-inspired Rococo style. Top section has scrolled broken arch pediment with central cartouche (attrib. to Phila carver, Martin Jugiez) and fully relief-carved vine tympanum, leading down to large central drawer w/ large carved shell & surrounding vines. Two small drawers flank center drawer, under which are 4 full-length, graduated drawers with original Chinoiserie brasses. Fluted corner columns on upper case; vine & leaf-carved corner columns on lower case.
Lower chest has top full-length drawer over 3 small drawers that mirror the 3 drawers at top. Again, the center drawer is fully carved. Below drawers is a fully vine-carved skirt w/ shaped bottom. Has 4 carved fully articulated cabriole legs w/ acanthus knees and ball and claw feet and original brass casters.
Original owner Matthias Slough was a colonel in the Rev. War, a superintendent of the Philadelphia to Lancaster Turnpike, a county coroner and treasurer, and tavernkeeper of the White Swan. Buried in St. James Episcopal Cemetery.
Made by unknown Lancaster Borough workshop.
Provenance
Original owner believed to be Mathias Slough, based on a 1934 letter from Ethel Torrington Davis to Mr.(James?) McCormick. Ms. Davis states her mother received story from her mother Mrs. Beatty. Mathias Slough married Mary Gibson and had three daughters. The oral tradition is that each daughter was given a high chest. These chests then descended in the family, one of which descended through the mother of Ethel T. Davis to James McCormick (in payment of an outstanding debt). This info researched by John J. Snyder.
From a July 1975 letter, donor George J. Finney recalls the highboy in the home of James McCormick of Hbg, his grandfather. After his death in 1917, it stayed with the house & his son Donald McCormick until his death in 1945. It was then put up for sale at auction of household good but failed to sell due to price not meeting expectations of executors. Donor learned of this, and in 1946 he offered to buy it for $2,500 and the estate accepted. Donor has owned highboy since 1946. Upon the death of the donor, it was bequeathed from his estate.
Multiple repairs (e.g. pieced out around drawers); refinished; some losses, most noticeable in some cartouche elements and leaves of rosettes. Finials missing the ball at mid section. Cosmetic conservation done by Cory Berrett April 1992.
Repairs made 12-2-09 by Winterthur conservator in consultation with curator Wendy Cooper (see conservation report in file). Major changes: broken off rosette leaf tips replaced; missing finial balls and top plates of plinths replaced.
Object ID
G.92.06
Notes
John Snyder states that mahogany is unusual for Lancaster Co. high-style pieces. Secondary woods are poplar and pine.
He notes six or fewer high chests of this Lancaster County Chippendale design are known to exist, and that of these six, "this piece is unquestionably the finest example." (Based on artistic evaluation, condition and provenance. Of these other chests, 2 are in private collections, one is in the State Department collection at Yale University, and the others' whereabouts are currently unknown.
Snyder says this high chest is closely related structurally to the famous Chippendale desk and bookcase acquired by the Winterthur Museum from the Withers family, living near Strasburg, Lancaster Co.
OBITUARY
May 14, 2009 FRANCES DAVIS HASSINGER EVERHART, of Lower Allen Township, Mechanicsburg, PA, passed away Thursday, May 14, 2009, in Bethany Village, Mechanicsburg. Frances was born March 1, 1916, in Harrisburg, PA, the daughter of CARL W. AND ETHEL TORRINGTON DAVIS. She was a 1938 graduate of Vassar Co...
Matthias Slough (1733-1812) was the tavernkeeper of the White Swan. The high chest was made at an unknown Lancaster Boro workshop, except for the carved cartouche of Philadelphia.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Heritage Center Collection, bequest of George J. Finney Estate
