The author, Peter E Judge
Making Windsor chairs is one of the most interesting and rewarding crafts to be involved with. There are many great moments during the making process, but the finest hour for the chair maker is undoubtedly the sense of achievement felt when seeing for the first time another fine Windsor chair standing completed in all its glory. The craftsman, having spent much time and skill to accomplish this undertaking, may proudly claim that the elegant Windsor chair just created is nothing less than a work of art. Most craftsmen who have made a Windsor chair would understand the sentiment behind this message.
Books on how to make Windsor chairs - for beginners, such as the three books here, are specially written to help and guide the novice craftsman through this highly technical but relatively easy to make item of furniture. All three books perform this basic requirement as each book contains procedures for beginners and intermediate skills, written in the format of a step by step guide. This enables the work to be carried out by following the easy pathways from start to finish so that a completed Windsor chair is the ultimate result.
A brief history of the Windsor chair in England where it originated.
Windsor chairs were first produced in 1720`s London. Shortly after this, Windsor chair making spread to factories in the surrounding counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, with High Wycombe in the Chilterns being one of the most famous towns in Britain for making chairs and furniture production.
There are many stories that tell how the chair got the name Windsor, but no one knows for sure. One popular tale is that the Windsor chair, in the early years of its development was associated with Windsor Castle and was sold at market in the town.
More factually, it`s likely that the vast beech woodlands in neighbouring Buckinghamshire, not far from Windsor in Berkshire - provided the material for making the chairs. Bodgers originally working in their makeshift huts deep in the woods made the spindles and legs where the trees were felled. Later, the actual making was carried out in factories as mentioned above, with the completed chairs sold at market in the town of Windsor which gave the chair its name.
Copyright May 2019
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