Evoking rusticity and relaxation through simple and elegant designs, vintage Adirondack furniture originated in the Adirondack Mountains of northeastern New York. The most famous piece is the Adirondack chair, which dates to 1903.
With its ample armrests and sturdy but comfortable slanted seat, the reclined Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee for his own country home. The postwar golden age of modern patio and garden furniture production — led by the likes of Brown Jordan, Knoll, Salterini and Woodard — was decades away at the time, and there were few pieces of furniture specifically created for outdoor use.
Lee, a Massachusetts-born Harvard graduate raised in a wealthy family, was no furniture designer. He merely needed a durable, rugged chair for afternoons in the sun while he was vacationing on Lake Champlain in Westport, New York, in the summer. The amateur woodworker used just one wooden plank cut into 11 segments that were jointed together for his now-legendary seat, which is said to have been made of hemlock, hickory or basswood.
The story of the Adirondack chair continues with Lee’s friend, carpenter Harry Bunnell, covertly patenting the chair and going on to produce it as the Westport Plank chair for a growing audience over the next two decades. Over a century later, the Adirondack chair has gone through several design evolutions while maintaining its popularity and basic form with slats of wood such as pine offering comfort both indoors and out.
The widespread demand for rustic Adirondack outdoor furniture was bolstered by the turn-of-the-century establishment of rural escapes to treat diseases such as tuberculosis. The low-slung Adirondack chair became common in these places of convalescence, allowing patients to recline and breathe in the country air. It also complemented the camp-style architecture that was prevalent in the Adirondacks for recreation as well as restoration, where rugged furniture with exposed wood and minimal carving filled interiors and wide porches.
Today, Adirondack chairs are made in a range of materials and can be found around the world, from ski resorts to lakeside piers, their durability and classic form making them an enduring favorite for spending time in nature.
Find vintage Adirondack chairs, benches, lounge chairs, decorative objects, folk art and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$716Sale Price|20% Off
19Thc Ship Door Stop From New England
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19Thc Cast iron ship door stop with a fine patina.Fine condition as well.
Iron
19th Century Adirondack Duck Boat, Solid Wood, Circa 1890s
Located in Hudson, NY
Rare 19th century Adirondak duck / sneak boat in old blue paint. Rare because these boats were made from solid wood and unless protected have all but rotted. It has a spectacular old...
Wood, Paint
American Cast Brass Engraved Yachtsman's Speaking Trumpet, Circa 1830
Located in Charleston, SC
American hand held cast brass engraved Yachtsman's speaking trumpet with bell shaped soldered mouthpiece, coned-shaped column with original interior red paint, and terminating on a r...
Brass
$6,500
H 10 in W 10.5 in D 8 in
American Nautical Brass Yacht Binnacle Mounted in Mahogany Case, Circa 1890
Located in Charleston, SC
American nautical mahogany yacht binnacle with a hinged locking oval glass viewing port, original removable brass side light burner with font, brass carrying handle, and fitted with ...
Brass
19th Century English Folk Art Encased Ship Diorama
Located in London, GB
19th Century Folk Art Encased Ship Diorama A delightful and highly decorated example of a late 19th century English folk art ships model diorama...
Glass, Wood
Aluminum Ship's Porthole Mirror
Located in Norwell, MA
Authentic polished aluminum ship's porthole fitted with a glass window. Door is hinged and fitted with three dogbolts. The highly polished porthole is ready for display. Overall d...
Aluminum
Vintage Handmade Boat Model Diorama
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage handmade boat model diorama of the "Sovereign of the Seas" a three masted schooner, displayed in its original case. Originally built in Massac...
Hardwood
$4,800
H 13.63 in W 13.5 in D 1.5 in
19th Century Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Large Sailor's Valentine in Mahogany Case, circa 1880, a hand-crafted shell collage with heart and rosebuds pattern within an eight-pointed star, set in a large mahogany octa...
Shell, Wood
19th Century Diorama of Sailing Ship ‘Eleanor’
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century diorama of the sailing ship ‘Eleanor’ in original glazed case. Painted antique shadowbox diorama of a three-masthead clipper ship alo...
Glass, Wood
$3,800
H 7 in W 11 in D 6 in
American Three Masted Clipper Ship in Bottle on Original Wood Stand, Circa 1880
Located in Charleston, SC
American three masted clipper ship in bottle with cloth rigging in full sail on a painted sea, flanked by a sea side town with evergreen trees, a pain...
Glass, Wood, Paint
19th Century Double Sailor's Valentine
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique Double Sailor's Valentine, circa 1880, a pair of handcrafted shell collages mounted in mahogany octagonal shadowboxes, hinged together and mounted with a clasp and a chain for hanging. This valentine features a heart and the message "Forget Me Not." The valentine is in great condition, but does of course have a few shells that have come loose over the past century and a half. The cases remain in great condition as well. Each Measures: 9-1/8 in H x 9-1/8 in W Victorians in the Age of Exploration and its accompanying Eclectic Movement embraced arts and crafts from around the world. Shell boxes are frequently seen, and even the odd shell diorama...
Shell, Mahogany
$838
H 3.55 in W 9.45 in D 2.96 in
20th Century Diorama Folk Art Three Mast Model Ship in a Bottle English, C 1930
Located in Central England, GB
A fine Diorama Folk Art Model ship in a bottle This skilfully made diorama of a three-mast early 19th century sailing ship at harbour with a raised landscape behind and cottages set...
Glass
Carved 19th Century English Ship's Figurehead of a Classical Male
Located in Essex, MA
Life-size draped classical male ship's figurehead of English 19th century origin. The carving is quite similar to that of the figurehead rescued from the HMS...
Oak
Ship Carved Figure
Located in Nantucket, MA
Carved figure of a woman standing upright on a scrolled base. Carved from Pine with in service paint, American, circa 1850.
Pine
Edwardian Starfish Shaped Shell Valentine- Passing Lighthouse
Located in Downingtown, PA
Edwardian Shellwork Valentine Diorama, Circa 1900. A large circular Edwardian star-shape shellwork diorama with beveled glass, features a chromolithograph of a sailing ship passing ...
Shell
Amazing Female Cameo Carved Shell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fantastic hand carved shell with a girl carved out. Fine condition.
Shell
Model of a Steam Powered Boat or Launch
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Model of a launch realistically crafted in mahogany, painted on the outside, complete with a steam engine replica, striped awning and presented on a mahogany stand.
Mahogany
Sold
H 66 in W 6.5 in D 1 in
4 Antique Wooden Canoe Paddles, Original Surface, Decorative Wall Display
Located in Manhasset, NY
4 antique wooden canoe paddles. Untouched original surface. Great display for a summer or beach house. They measure 58"-60"-64" and 66" tall. Thes...
Wood
Hot Water Tin Canister in Original Paint, 19th Century
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century hot water canister in original cream or oyster painted surface. The top of the canister it reads “HOT WATER” in original gilded letters. Th...
Tin
Early 20th Century Telescope in Leather and Brass
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This amazing telescope is all leather and brass with wood legs. The trim is in brass. The condition is very good.
Brass