Chairs of Oxford - Part One

Design for the Radcliffe Camera (circa 1712) - Nicholas Hawksmoor - Courtesy of the Ashmolean Western Art Print Room

A July day in Oxford, snaking lines of schoolkids clamour along the High Street. Down an alley, shade from ancient college walls offers a relief from the sun. I was on the trail of early Windsor chairs, a notebook full of pieced together clues and grainy photos.

Oxford’s many colleges and associated institutions can seem physically intimidating to outsiders. Their high walls might appear to be jealously guarding the knowledge within, yet I’ve found the opposite to be true. Towards the end of the pandemic I set out to improve my drafting skills, so arranged a visit to the Ashmolean Museum’s Western Art Print Room. This became a regular monthly appointment, where I studied everything from Rembrandt’s etchings to Hawksmoor’s superb early designs for what became the Radcliffe Camera. It was, in effect, a private view of some of the finest drawings and prints in Europe and I’m thankful to the staff for their welcome and expertise.

It was with an optimistic heart that I set out to track down some Oxford Windsors. My first appointment was at Jesus College, where I hoped to find an early Windsor settee that is featured in many histories of chairmaking. My optimism took a dent when the porter at the entrance seemed baffled by my request. I’d brought a photocopy of a page featuring the settee, on which I scribbled down my name and number then headed a few yards up the street for coffee.

Ten minutes later my phone rang, the porter inviting me back. She’d spoken to a librarian who recognised the settee and so was happy to take me into the college for a look. I donned the ubiquitous visitor’s lanyard and we headed through to the second quadrangle, up a flight of stairs past the library and into the Norman Washington Manley room. Here was a cosy common room furnished with small bookcases and a number of settees gathered around the fireplace. I’d been expecting one Windsor but here were two - a matching pair!

Windsor Settee - Courtesy Jesus College, Oxford

Even more striking was the fact that both were clearly still in use. These settees date from the early 18th century (around the same time Hawksmoor was drawing his designs) and it’s something of a trip to think of who might have sat in them - Jesus College has some notable former students.

As you can imagine, I took a lot of photos. The porter might have questioned my sanity when I lay down on the floor for some footage of the undercarriage, but I’m glad that I did. In the next episode, I’ll be drawing some comparisons between these settees and another chair I was introduced to later.

Matching Windsor Settee - Jesus College - Note the Welsh Dragon Fireguard!

I’ll save an in-depth description for the Regional Furniture Society, but I can’t resist pointing out a few of the more notable details…

The legs resemble an axe-haft, or perhaps a deer’s front leg. They’re finely shaped and tapered, and appear to have both more rake and splay than is typical in an English Windsor. There are no stretchers, and the legs aren’t wedged into the seat. At this point, I began to question some of my workshop wisdom, as I regard both of these methods of construction as necessary for a long-lived chair…I was being schooled by a craftsman from three hundred years ago.

The seat is made from a single board of elm - the rest of the settee appears to be ash. The carving of the seat is unusual, in that it’s saddled twice. There’s a line of beading (nicely carried out by a scratch stock) running all the way around the top of the seat. Both settees are very comfortable, seating a chairmaker and a college porter with room to spare.

The shaping of the arm is a highlight. The transition from round stock to flattened is perfectly achieved and I’m still slightly obsessed with how the arm meets the armpost. Details, but what details! I’d also draw your attention to the tapering of the short spindles. Absolutely textbook. I’m getting carried away here, let’s move on.

Finally, the crest has been shaped and carved by an expert. I’ll hazard a guess that whoever carried out the work on this component (and perhaps the entire chair) had experience in high-end cabinetry and/or joinery. Halfway between a wine-taster and a medium here, but I’m detecting ecclesiastical notes, did the maker carve pews too? The level of skill in such disciplines must have remained very high in Oxford for centuries, as there was constant demand from the colleges. It’s no surprise that these settees are of the highest standard.

Windsor Settee Crest - Jesus College, Oxford

On my return home, I contacted the archivist of Jesus College, Dr Robin Darwall-Smith. He explained that as there was no record of purchase for these settees, it might be difficult to establish a precise date for their manufacture. He also noted that a previous researcher had noticed similarities between these settees and extant chairs in the Bodleian Library (a stone’s throw from Jesus College).

Funnily enough, the Bodleian was my next intended port of call…

Design for the Radcliffe Camera (circa 1712) - Nicholas Hawksmoor - Courtesy Ashmolean Western Art Print Room