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.
