Rocking Chair
Object NameRocking Chair
Mediumwood
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Clifford and Mabel Simon. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Object number73.8.5
Status
On viewCollections
Label TextAn iconic object in American social culture, the rocking chair has a long and storied history. Although its invention is often credited to American inventor and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin in 1710, historians consider this unlikely. At the time, Franklin would have been only four years old, and evidence suggests that early versions were crafted by farmers and cabinetmakers much earlier than 1710 though Franklin may have improved the design later on. Despite its uncertain origins, the rocking chair continued to evolve over the following centuries, including the creation of the first wicker model in Boston around 1860. The popularity of rocking chairs has endured throughout American history, remaining a timeless symbol of comfort and domestic life.
https://troutmanchairs.com/the-history-of-rocking-chairs/ https://www.furniturelibrary.com/the-rocking-chair/
Locations
- (not entered) Iowa State University, Farm House Museum
Object Name: Rocking Chair
Jørgen Gemmelgaard
pre-1983
Object number: UM2011.323ab
