Rare Hitchcock Chair?

I recently picked up this chair at an estate sale for me to use at my writing desk. However, when I got home I noticed the stamp on the back and started to do some research only to find that I can't really find anything on it! I did find one used furniture site and sent these pictures to him. I got a response with an offer to buy it, but didn't really give me much information on the chair. He said that he thought it had been made for a short period to be available for the Boy Scouts when they reached Eagle Scout status. He has been dealing with this furniture for 16 years and said he has only seen two of them.
I don't really know that I want to sell it as I actually just really like the chair, but if anyone knows anything else about it, I'd love to know more about it!

 

Welcome!
You will get great help here soon.
In the meantime please go back and edit all of your photos to FULL IMAGE and always do this.

 

Hi, Michelle - and welcome!

If you can, it would help if you went back and edited the photos in your query to "full size" instead of "thumbprint".
That way, more people here will be able to view them. (With cell phones & all, some folks can't open the tiny pictures - and others just won't...)

I happen to be a big fan of older Hitchcock chairs. We had several of them in the house when I was growing up, and my Mom, an interior designer back then, even dragged us thru the Hitchcock "factory" to see them being made!

Anyway, I didn't know about a Boy Scout/Eagle Scout connection with Hitchcock. It will be interesting to find out more.

I don't have time at the moment to do any searching, but perhaps someone else here is already familiar with it. Just wanted to say HI! and WELCOME!

 

Welcome, michelle! Pretty chair and seems to be in excellent condition, almost unused?

Have you tried to get information about it from the company? They have a website.

 

Thanks for the advice, I did go back and edit them. Definitely easier to see them now

 

Thank you.

 

Michelle - I was wondering whether you have (or can get) a better picture of the stamp on the back of the seat. The gold on red is very hard for my old eyes to see.

 

Yes, it looked like it was almost brand new - I really had no idea I was even buying a potentially older chair. I actually bought another Hitchcock chair as well, but I was able to find information on that one. I know that it was made in the early 70's but that one looks like brand new as well. They certainly were not used (until now

 

And I did contact the manufacturer, I spoke to a younger man who said he didn't have any information on the older chairs but that he'd ask around. Not much help.

 

Well, that's disappointing.

 

I think this chair is about the same age as your other one,it just looks too new. Even if it was 200 years old and sat unused in a room,it would still have signs of age.Its a lovely chair,but Im thinking reproduction circa 1970s. Thats all just my opinion,of course.

 

I agree that it's probably not that old, I was thinking maybe around the 70s like the other one. I'm just curious about it since I can't find any information on it like I could on the other one.

 

Perhaps a Bicentennial connection?

Thanks for the better picture! That (R) at the end is definitely 20th century. And with the "old time" reversed Ns, I think it's reasonable to at least check it out.

 

I know nothing about boy scouts logos but those I googled didn't look like they were sitting on cannons. I don't know anything about eagle on cannons but here is one.

 

Have you seen this Antique Trader article? Scroll down to the lower section of the page for information about the "reproduction chairs" produced with the old stencil plus the (R) starting in 1946.

http://www.antiquetrader.com/featured/identify-an-authentic-‘hitchcock’-chair-by-its-mark

 

You know what puzzles me? The fact that the back panel with the eagle is cut out. Hitchcock's various "limited edition" chairs all have a full panel with a painted scene. I couldn't find a single one with a cut out.

 

Lovely chair. I haven't been able to find any connection of the Boy Scouts and Hitchcock chairs. This doesn't mean there isn't any, just I haven't found it yet. As to the sig., Baker is dead on with the "R" registered mark. The backward Ns are also a dead giveaway the it is a reproduction dating to the 20th century.

"1955 - 2006 All chairs were signed how we usually see them with the "L. HITCHCOCK HITCHCOCKSVILLE CONN WARRANTED" With the backwards "n"s and registered trademark. The registered trademark is not always there because it could be missed when the stenciling is done, or it would rub off. I have seen more than a few blurry or incomplete signatures. Its part of the artistry."
http://www.usedhitchcockfurniture.com/16512.html

--- Susan

 

Gee, I didn't realized it was cut-out until reading your posting. From the front I thought the middle rail/slat had the eagle on a grayish brown painted background. Now on taking a closer look at the pic of the back of the chair, I can see the cut-out. I also can't find others. I wonder about the sturdiness/strength of that cut-out rail.

BTW, this style top rail with a middle cylindrical section is called a bolster-top, pillow-back, or oval-turned top rail.

--- Susan

 

I think it wasn't until the third look at the pictures that I realized it was cut!