Chairs of Oxford - Part Two
To walk from the High Street to Broad Street in Oxford is the best architectural experience in England. Harry Potter cosplayers and assorted TikTok dancers aren’t wrong, it’s a stunning backdrop.
Chairs of Oxford - Part One
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.
Chair Fancier’s Fair
Last September I attended a celebratory reception at London’s Museum of the Home in honour of Bill and Gerry Cotton. Their work in identifying the distinct regional styles and makers of vernacular furniture lead to the most important book on chairmaking that I own - “The English Regional Chair”, published in 1990.