The Samuel Talcott Chippendale Cherrywood Roundabout Armchair, Hartford or possibly Norwich, Connecticut, circa 1770

Purchased by Samuel Talcott, Sr. (1711-1797), of Hartford for his son, Samuel Talcott Jr. (1740-1798) and Abigail Ledyard (1751-1818) of Hartford, who married on December 24, 1767;
To their daughter, Anne Talcott (1772-1839);
To her nephew, Thomas G. Talcott (1819-1870), who married Sarah A. Jones;
To his half-brother, John Ledyard Talcott (1812-1887);
To his son, John Ledyard Talcott, Jr. (1876-1941);
To his daughter, Mildred Talcott Poindexter (1895-1989);
To her daughter, who sold it to the present owners in 1989.

Please not retains original tacking blocks which were attached to both front rails at rear, which were removed for the attachment of new poplar tacking strips in June of 1990 - these blocks are together with this piece in a bag. All brackets appear to be original; some old marks and scratches to extremities consistent with age and use.
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.

Made of cherry with poplar secondary woods, this handsome corner chair is of generous size and upholstered over the rails. Samuel Talcott, Sr. (1711-1797), a wealthy Hartford merchant, purchased it for his son, Samuel Talcott, Jr. (1740-1798), about the time he married Abigail Ledyard (1751-1818) of Hartford in 1767.  Family history notes that this chair accompanied the elaborate cherrywood blockfront desk and bookcase also offered in this sale that was purchased by Samuel Talcott Sr. for his son around the same time. The corner chair and desk descended to the Samuel Talcott Jr.’s daughter, Anne Talcott (1772-1839) and then to her nephew, Thomas G. Talcott (1819-1870). After the latter’s death, his wife Sarah split his property with his half-brother, John L. Talcott (1812-1887). The chair and desk are referred to on the 1886 distribution lists as the “Gov. Talcott Chair” and “Gov. Talcott Secretary.” John Talcott took ownership of both pieces and they continued together through three more generations of his family until 1989, when his descendant sold them to the current owners.

The corner chair relates closely to a group of Queen Anne cherrywood side chairs with “owl’s eye” splats originally owned by Governor William Pitkin (1694-1769) of East Hartford. Two side chairs from the Pitkin set are at the Wadsworth Atheneum. One at Winterthur Museum also appears to be part of the set. Robert Trent illustrates it in “New London County Joined Chairs, 1720-1790,” published in Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin (Fall 1985): no. 46 and attributes it to an unidentified shop working in either East Hartford or Norwich.  Pitkin may have purchased the set locally in Hartford or in Norwich, where cabinetmakers made distinctive chairs of this type with owl’s eye splats. One was Felix Huntington (1749-1822), who made two sets of similar chairs of mahogany and cherrywood for his cousin, General Jabez Huntington (1719-1786) in the 1780s (see Trent, nos. 51-5).