Featured Help Identifying Ladder Back Chairs

Hi to everyone,I am new here and as I know almost nothing about antique furniture I was hoping for some help in indentifying or dating these chairs.My mother got them from a little antique shop here in Atlantic Canada 25yrs ago and was only told then that they were very old.Maybe close to 100yrs. She recently gave them to me as I was always fascinated with them growing up. She is a skeptic and simply bought them because she liked the look but isnt convinced they are anything special. I on the other hand have always been a dreamer and would always picture all the places these chairs may have been over the years and who may of crafted them. The seats have been replaced in recent times,not sure when and it appears to me that the legs have been cut down.Maybe from rot or damage? Any help in learning more about these chairs would be very much appreciated.



It is hard to see in the image but there appears to be red on various spots and where the joints meet.May of been painted red at some point?
Below is the bottom view just to show markings around the legs,guessing from the original seat being tied.

 

looks like they may have been refinished..or remodeled at some earlier time.

 

@James Conrad

 

WELCOME Paise !!! ... Joy.

 

I'd guess mid 19th century, Canada sounds right, the feet/legs look like they are ended out or photo from odd angle. Front stretcher seems very close to floor.

 

Yeah, ended out, not much value if legs were all there, millions were made, virtually no value with legs ended out.

 

Fascinating. You have such a way of looking at this stuff and explaining what you see. I see what you mean by ended out.

 

Doll Prop! Chairs are still antique & would/could be used by a doll collector to display for example.

 

I have a chair very much like those that I believe is a rocker with the rockers removed. Would explain the low front stretcher. Simply an observation on my part.

 

Welcome to Antiquers, @Paise !

 

I have three similar chairs. I was told that they are early 19th century "Peekskill ballroom chairs" I can't explain why a ballroom chair would be any lower than a regular chair, but all three are basically the same height. All are hand-made so they are not uniform.

 

Re: the legs. May have been cut off because of relation to stretchers but don't forget folks were shorter then - and not so long ago. Both of my Grandmothers were under 5'. And we have one daughter who is a throwback at all of 5'1"!
Patd

 

Yes but, a normal chair, the seat height should be 17 " from the floor to seat, even in 19th century. Anything significantly less than that + or - 1" inch is going to feel "weird".