A MORRIS CHAIR
A Morris chair
History of the Design.—Among furniture designs the Morris chair has become a classic. It takes its name for its originator, William Morris, the great English designer and reformer, to whom, perhaps more than to any other person, we are indebted for sane and honest work in furniture design and in all forms of household decoration, not only in England but in other European countries and in America. And probably no one of his creations has done more to teach the lesson of simplicity, comfort, and utility in furniture than the Morris chair.
Details and dimensions of Morris chair (front)
Details and dimensions for Morris chair (side)
It may be well to add, however, that like many other famous works of art, the original design of William Morris has suffered much in countless imitations. The furniture shops display carved and otherwise embellished monstrosities under the name of Morris chairs which are nothing less than an insult to the great name they bear. But the life of all imitations of original and really great ideas is bound to be short. Only the good and true, which are the original, survive. The really valuable features of the original Morris chair design, combining beauty of material with simplicity of form and construction, have taken a lasting hold upon the hearts of all people who have found solid comfort in these chairs. The chairs contemplated in this problem are illustrated on [page 50, chapter II]. Both are in quartered oak. The one on the right is stained in dark brown and has a box cushion for the seat and a pillow cushion for the back, in medium brown leather. The one on the left is in light fumed oak with cushions of mahogany velour. On account of its smaller dimensions it is somewhat lighter in weight than the one on the right, and the dimensions of the smaller one will be followed in this problem. This chair is an exact copy of one in ash which, with a centre table and stool, were designed and made for a college girl's room; and a large part of the work of constructing the three pieces of furniture was done by the girl herself.
Detail of pins
By careful examination of the dimensioned drawing shown on the preceding page the young woodworker who undertakes this problem should select his stock according to the following list: 4 legs 21⁄2 × 21⁄2 × 24 inches; two arms 3 × 51⁄2 × 38 inches; two bottom side rails 11⁄8 × 6 × 26 inches; two top side rails 5⁄8 × 21⁄4 × 26 inches; two bottom rails (front and back) 11⁄8 × 6 × 24 inches; one top rail (back) 5⁄8 × 21⁄4 × 24 inches; two back uprights 11⁄8 × 17⁄8 × 25 inches; three cross pieces for back (lower) 3⁄4 × 25⁄8 × 20 inches; one cross piece for back (top) 3⁄4 × 6 × 20 inches; one bracket 1 × 3 × 18 inches; four pins 41⁄2 × 41⁄4 inches square.
Detail of Morris chair arm
In sawing up the stock, allowance should be made of course, for necessary waste in working down to the drawing dimensions. The arms are drawn with a curve and may be fashioned by band sawing them out of 3-inch stock. There will be a considerable saving in material and labour, of course, if the arms are made flat; but the effect of the curve is very pleasing. The back slats may be sawed to a slight curve, which is another attractive feature; but flat slats are easier to make and just as serviceable.
The process of construction does not differ in general from that already described in some of the foregoing problems, and need not be repeated here in detail. The method of finishing this and all other furniture referred to in the problems will be explained in the following chapter.
Since the Morris chair is a heavy piece of furniture, it will be necessary to provide casters for it. The Acme Pin caster, so-called, was used in the chair referred to in this problem. It makes use of a steel ball turning upon ball bearings, and is set up into the legs so as to leave only about 1⁄4 of an inch of the ball exposed.