The Francis Barton Gummere Important Queen Anne carved walnut easy chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania circa 1750

Mrs. Francis Barton Gummere

William MacPherson Hornor, Jr., Blue Book Philadelphia Furniture: William Penn to George Washington, (Washington, D.C.: Highland House Publishers, 1977), p. 224, pl. 375.

Secondary woods are yellow pine, poplar, and walnut. Frame is in excellent condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Representing a signature Philadelphia seating furniture form, the easy chair showcased the skills of the upholsterer as much as the cabinetmaker making the frame. Chairs of this type were created as a costly possessions intended for the finest rooms of the Colonial home. As such, they were a luxury in their own time and few early examples like this one survive today.

In keeping with the best Philadelphia Queen Anne easy chairs, this one displays a graceful silhouette, a tall back, outward scrolling arms, a bowed seat rail, and paneled slipper feet. Its near mate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art descended in the McIlvaine family of Philadelphia (Morrison H. Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: MMA, 1985, pp. 129-31, no. 77). One at Winterthur Museum also with paneled slipper feet is illustrated in Joseph Downs, American Furniture, Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, 1952, no. 75. One with a history in the Devan family of Philadelphia was formerly owned by Israel Sack Inc. (see Sack, Volume IX, P6067, p. 2475).