Rocking Chairs
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Pine
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech
1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Birch
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Zinc
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Lambskin, Rubber, Walnut
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wicker, Rattan
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s American American Classical Vintage Rocking Chairs
Cherry
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s French Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bronze
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wool, Oak
1950s American Country Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Beech
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Walnut, Fabric
1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Birch
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Chrome
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Rattan
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Steel
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Beech, Wicker
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1950s Danish Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Brass, Iron
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fiberglass
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Bentwood
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Maple
1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s American Vintage Rocking Chairs
Metal
1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Sheepskin
1950s Italian Vintage Rocking Chairs
Leather, Rattan
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wood
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Teak, Upholstery
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Wrought Iron
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Rocking Chairs
Straw, Oak
Vintage, New and Antique Rocking Chairs
The phrase “rocking chair” didn’t find its way into the dictionary until the mid-18th century. While most of the sitting furniture that we use in our homes originated in either England or France, the iconic rocking chair is a quintessentially American piece of furniture.
A Philadelphia cabinetmaker’s bill for a proto-rocking chair issued in 1742, which identified the seat as a “Nurse Chair with rockers,” is the earliest surviving evidence of this design’s humble beginnings. The nurse chair was a low side chair intended for nursing women, so giving it a soothing rocking motion made sense. Rocking chairs, which saw a curved slat affixed to the chairs’ feet so that they could be literally rocked, quickly gained popularity across the United States, garnering a reputation as a seat that everyone could love. They offered casual comfort without the expensive fabrics and upholstery that put armchairs out of many families’ budgets.
Rocking chairs are unique in that they don’t just offer a place to rest — they offer an opportunity to reminisce. The presence of one of these classic pieces stirs up our penchant for nostalgia and has the power to transform a space. They easily introduce a simple country feel to the city or bring the peaceful rhythm of a porch swing into a sheltered sunroom. Although craftsmen took to painting and stenciling varieties of the chairs that emerged in New England during the 19th century, the most traditional rocking chairs are generally unadorned seats constructed with time-tested materials like wood and metal. As such, a minimalist vintage rocking chair can be ushered into any corner of your home without significantly disrupting your existing decor scheme or the room’s color palette.
In the decades since the first rocker, top designers have made the piece their own. Viennese chair maker Michael Thonet produced a series of rockers in the middle of the 19th century in which the different curved steam-bent wood parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Mid-century modernists Charles and Ray Eames added wooden rockers to their famous plastic shell armchair, while Danish designer Frank Reenskaug opted for teak and polished beech, introducing pops of color with small cushions (a precursor to the bold works that would follow in the 1970s and 1980s).
No matter your personal style, let 1stDibs pair you with your perfect seat. Deck out your porch, patio or parlor — browse the vintage, new and antique rocking chairs in our vast collection today.
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How One Chair Rocked Its Way Into Hearts and History
The noted design historian explores the origins of the rocking chair, a quintessentially American piece of furniture that is still going strong after 300 years.