Is there a piece of furniture that evokes a stronger sense of nostalgia and American heritage than the rocking chair? Since the early 18th century, rocking chairs have been deeply ingrained in our culture, with almost everyone knowing someone who owns a vintage or antique rocking chair. Often found gracing living rooms and front porches, these chairs possess a rich and fascinating history that continues to captivate enthusiasts and collectors alike.
The story of classic Antique Rocking Chairs, as we recognize them today, begins in the gardens of early 18th-century America. Initially simple chairs placed on runners, they gained traction initially not in homes, but rather in mental facilities and hospitals, where their gentle motion was found to soothe patients. It wasn’t until the Shakers, renowned for their craftsmanship and minimalist design, began producing them that antique rocking chairs truly captured the American public’s attention, leading to a surge in their popularity.
Over the ensuing decades, diverse styles of antique rocking chairs emerged to cater to the evolving tastes of Americans. Wicker rockers, for instance, became highly fashionable during the Victorian era, adorning both indoor and outdoor spaces. Different regions of the United States even became associated with specific types of rockers. New England was known for the elegant Boston or Salem rocker, while the Spanish missionaries in California crafted robust, blocky mission-style rockers.
Many of these historical antique rocking chairs have sadly been lost to time. However, the precious few that have survived are highly prized by antique enthusiasts and collectors. What makes these chairs so appealing? For many, it’s the excitement of the hunt. Discovering a genuinely valuable antique rocking chair is a rewarding achievement, a thrilling treasure hunt where each auction or market holds the potential for an exciting find. For others, owning an antique is akin to possessing a tangible piece of history, something to be cherished, studied, and proudly displayed.
Java Teak Rocking Chair
Venturing into the world of antique rocking chair collecting can initially feel overwhelming. The sheer volume of information and variety of styles can leave newcomers wondering where to begin. This is where research and networking become invaluable. A crucial first step in this rewarding hobby (or passion, as many collectors would argue) is to connect with experienced individuals. Visit antique shops, attend shows, and explore auctions. Engage with dealers and fellow enthusiasts, ask about their beginnings, and absorb their accumulated knowledge.
Immerse yourself in literature. Your local library is a fantastic resource for books on antique furniture. A well-stocked library will likely have guides that can provide insights into the market value of different pieces. Don’t neglect online resources either. The internet is a treasure trove of information waiting to be explored, offering articles, forums, and online databases dedicated to antiques.
Consider joining an antique collecting club. If you feel apprehensive about navigating shops and shows alone, fearing being misled into purchasing a fake, or if you lack the time for extensive independent research, a club offers a supportive and pressure-free environment. In a collecting club, you’ll find individuals united by their shared passion for antiques, rather than solely driven by profit.
Combining these resources – expert advice, reading, and club membership – will provide a solid foundation for your journey into antique rocking chair collecting. They will also equip you with the knowledge to avoid common pitfalls. One of the biggest concerns for any collector is overpaying for an item that turns out to be a reproduction or a fake. While outright forgeries are relatively uncommon in the antique world, replicas are frequently mistaken for genuine antique rocking chairs.
Preventing such mistakes is crucial. As highlighted in Heather Kolich’s insightful article on “Spotting Real Antiques, Fake Antiques, and Reproductions,” thorough research is your best defense. Before purchasing an antique rocking chair, familiarize yourself with its distinctive construction characteristics, such as the style of the back, arms, or legs. If something appears out of place or inconsistent with your research, trust your instincts. It likely warrants further investigation.
Conduct a careful visual inspection of the antique rocking chair before committing to a purchase. Examine the quality of the wood, the joinery, and the hardware. Remember, early American craftsmen did not use particle board or composite wood in their antique rocking chairs! Nails can be particularly revealing, as nail manufacturing techniques evolved over time, resulting in different nail styles depending on the chair’s era.
Also, keep in mind that wood naturally darkens and shrinks with age. If the wood appears surprisingly fresh and new on a chair purported to be a century old, it’s highly probable that it’s a replica and not a genuine antique rocking chair.
Now that you have a broader understanding of antique collecting in general, you might be curious about which types of antique rocking chairs are most sought after.
Boston and Salem Rockers: New England Elegance
As their names suggest, Boston and Salem rockers originated in New England during the mid-19th century. Interestingly, the Boston chair (without rockers) predates the rocker version by a century, though their historical connection is somewhat tenuous. The antique rocking chair variant evolved from Windsor chairs in the early 1800s, with design contributions often attributed to Lambert Hitchcock, although numerous manufacturers produced these popular chairs.
Portside Classic Rocking Chair
The defining features of the Boston antique rocking chair include a curved wooden seat, sloping downwards at the front and upwards at the rear. The armrests mirror the seat’s curvature, and the back typically features six to nine slender spindles topped with a prominent crest rail. The back also exhibits a slight outward curve for enhanced comfort. Maple wood was commonly used, often paired with a pine seat. Decorative painting, frequently depicting fruits and flowers, often adorned the crest rail. A “little Boston rocker” was the armless version, while a “Salem rocker” denoted a low-backed variant.
Value examples of Boston antique rocking chairs:
- A 19th-century American Boston rocker, grain-painted with gilt stenciling and a scenic, decorative crest with a rosewood-grained seat, can be valued around $750.
- Another Boston rocker, painted with a brown background and embellished with gold, yellow, and green flowers on the side crest rail, featuring a large seat and canted center, is valued at approximately $295.
When considering a Boston antique rocking chair, pay attention to the design details. Some are more primitive in their construction, while others exhibit more refined features such as gracefully shaped seats and finely turned legs or arm supports.
Rustic Rockers: Natural Charm
Rustic rockers, characterized by their distinctive style, are ideal for log cabins or hunting lodges. They emerged around the first quarter of the 19th century and are relatively common in the antique market, often crafted by local artisans. Rustic rockers are known for their sturdiness and durability, typically constructed from small trees and branches. The rustic furniture-making technique involves using green, pliable wood branches, bending them into the desired shape, and then allowing them to dry and harden.
The rustic antique rocking chair style gained popularity across America and Canada, particularly in regions like the Adirondack Mountains, a popular vacation destination with hunting and fishing lodges.
The value of rustic antique rocking chairs can be surprisingly high.
- An American-made rustic rocker from the late 19th or early 20th century, featuring bent wood, a shaped coiled back connected to bent arms on a splint seat and legs, coiled seat supports, a worn painted surface, and minor repairs to the back, can fetch around $920.
Windsor Rockers: A Timeless Classic
Windsor antique rocking chairs are among the most popular and sought-after models in the market today. Fortunately, they are also relatively easy to find. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution when seeking out this style. While some were originally designed as rockers, many Windsor chairs were converted into rockers later, which can diminish their value as true antique rocking chairs.
Due to their long history and enduring popularity, Windsor chairs exist in numerous styles. The specific style of the Windsor chair incorporated into the rocker dictates its name. Examples include Bird Cage Windsors and Comb Back Windsors.
Value examples of Windsor antique rocking chairs:
- A Pennsylvania-crafted Windsor antique rocking chair, featuring a comb back, mixed wood construction, a scrolled crest rail, and bulbous stretcher and arm supports, is valued around $1,275.
- Another Windsor antique rocking chair, originating from New England, boasts a barrel crest rail with applied scroll arms, bamboo turned supports, a shaped seat on splayed bamboo turned legs, and old reddish-brown paint with yellow pin-striping, with a value of approximately $1,380.
L. and J.G. Stickley Rockers: Mission Style Mastery
These antique rocking chairs are associated with a company that boasts a rich and ongoing legacy. The Stickley company, still thriving today, was founded by the Stickley brothers, who rose to prominence in the early 20th century with their Mission-style furniture. The Mission style, easily recognizable for its strong, rectilinear forms, gained significant popularity in California, where its robust construction and solid wood resonated with the Spanish missionary architectural aesthetic.
Traditional Double Rocker
- An L. and J.G. Stickley antique rocking chair with slatted bow-arms, a drop-in spring seat, and a handcrafted label can range in price from $3,000 to $4,000, depending on its condition and provenance.
Charles Rohlfs Rockers: Art Nouveau Infusion
Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936) was an American furniture craftsman whose designs uniquely blended Arts and Crafts principles with Art Nouveau ornamentation. His pieces are characterized by their solid construction enhanced by graceful decorative elements, such as fretwork and flowing, carved motifs. Oak was his primary material. He established his workshop in Buffalo, NY, in 1898, which operated until 1928.
Today, a Charles Rohlfs antique rocking chair is part of the permanent collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art, a testament to his distinctive style that harmoniously combined solidity and elegance. Due to their handcrafted nature and exquisite workmanship, Rohlfs’ pieces were considered luxurious and expensive during his time.
- A rare Charles Rohlfs carved antique rocking chair, measuring 36 inches wide, bearing a carved “R” and the date 1902, can command a price of $12,000 to $18,000.
Arts and Crafts Rockers: Honest Craftsmanship
The Arts and Crafts movement emerged as a reaction against the mass-produced, machine-made furniture of the Industrial Revolution. Critics argued that mass production resulted in inferior goods with debased revivalist styles catering to mass consumption.
William Morris, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, advocated for a return to pre-industrial craft methods. He envisioned communal workshops reminiscent of medieval guilds, aiming to reunite the artist with the object of creation.
Regardless of differing opinions on the practicality of these philosophies, the Arts and Crafts movement undeniably produced furniture characterized by clean lines, simplicity, and solid construction – “honest” craftsmanship. This movement had a profound influence, inspiring subsequent design movements and modern furniture, and importantly, its furniture was priced to be accessible to the average person.
Value examples of Arts and Crafts antique rocking chairs:
- An Arts and Crafts antique rocking chair constructed from oak, featuring Mortise and Tenon joints, pegged construction, and an un-upholstered seat, can be valued around $354.
- A Plail Brothers barrel antique rocking chair, with a drop-in spring seat and rail backing, unmarked, can range from $1,500 to $2,500 in value.
Shaker Furniture: Simplicity and Utility
Perhaps the most influential group in the history of the antique rocking chair, the Shaker community significantly contributed to popularizing the rocker as an essential piece of American furniture. The Shakers, a strict religious sect who arrived in the United States from Britain during the Revolutionary era, were known for their simple lifestyle, self-sufficiency, and independence. In the early 19th century, they began crafting their own furniture, developing their distinctive designs rooted in principles of simplicity and functionality, believing that “beauty rests on utility.”
Their chairs are their most iconic creations, often featuring a ladder-back design derived from British country furniture, but rendered slimmer and taller. A thin crest rail was frequently incorporated to support a cushion for added comfort.
The Shakers are widely regarded as precursors to modern design. Their furniture style remains highly sought after even in today’s market.
When seeking a Shaker antique rocking chair, examine the leg style. Chairs intended for sale outside the Shaker community were often marked with metal mounts attached to the rear legs.
Slat-back chairs were another enduringly popular Shaker design, remaining in production for over 200 years. Numerous reproductions exist, often mistaken for authentic originals. Be wary of sharply turned posts and sharp-edged rockers, which may indicate a more recent origin.
Conclusion
As you’ve discovered, the world of antique rocking chairs offers a wide range of styles and values, with some pieces reaching prices beyond the average collector’s budget. However, for those who can invest, these chairs represent tangible pieces of American history, worthy of ownership and preservation. Embarking on the journey of collecting antique rocking chairs may seem daunting initially, but with dedicated research and time, you can enrich your home with a cherished treasure.
Alternatively, consider investing in a new, high-quality rocking chair. After all, every antique was once new. Numerous online retailers, such as the Rocking Chair Company, offer a diverse selection of styles at more accessible prices. With time and care, your new rocking chair could become a future antique, passed down through generations.
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