1940's Old Hickory High Back Chair
View Similar Items
1940's Old Hickory High Back Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Old Hickory Furniture Company (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 44 in (111.76 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Adirondack (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. This is in fine & sturdy condition.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 1940's Old Hickory High Back Chair1stDibs: LU797128426472
Old Hickory Furniture Company
In the early 1890s, before his Old Hickory Furniture Company was formally incorporated, Billy Richardson was selling handmade rocking chairs in the town square of Martinsville, Indiana. His designs used hickory saplings that were the perfect combination of pliable and durable, making them ideal for creating graceful, comfortable and long-lasting furniture. This style of “twig furniture” or “rustic furniture” had become popular with the romanticization of escaping to nature in the 19th century, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains.
Reportedly, a young Richardson and his father crafted seating for president Andrew Jackson, nicknamed “Old Hickory,” for use at his Tennessee home, the Hermitage. By the end of the 19th century, Billy Richardson’s furniture had attracted such a fan base that he joined forces with other craftspeople in the area and they convened to work in an empty church, producing hickory sapling furniture full-time. Old Hickory was officially founded in 1899 and began shipping its signature hickory sapling seating and tables across the country.
Some of the company’s earliest customers were America’s National Parks, where Old Hickory’s homespun style of wooden furniture fit right in and turned out to be a sound investment. At Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Inn and Glacier National Park’s Lake McDonald Lodge, the Old Hickory seating purchased in the early 1900s remains in use to this day.
That’s not to say the company hasn’t adapted over its century-plus lifetime. A look at Old Hickory’s archive is something of a trip through American furniture styles of the past century. There are knotted designs from the 1930s, chaises made of wicker (a versatile and long-lasting natural material) that recall early-20th-century resort style and Mission-style sets reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement.
In the 1940s, Old Hickory tapped designer Russel Wright to lend his eye to the brand. Wright’s streamlined designs married Old Hickory’s rustic sensibility with a modern aesthetic. After closing in 1978, the company underwent two acquisitions and was moved from Martinsville to Shelbyville, Indiana, where it now operates. Today, Old Hickory continues to offer an array of furniture and home accessories, primarily in the widely loved style with which it began.
Find a range of Old Hickory Furniture Company armchairs, tables and other items for sale on 1stDibs.
- Old Hickory Barrel Back Rocking ChairLocated in Los Angeles, CAFantastic old hickory barrel back rocking chair. Rocker is very Strong.Category
20th Century American Adirondack Rocking Chairs
MaterialsHickory
$1,516 Sale Price20% Off - Adirondack High Back Chairs, PairLocated in Los Angeles, CAAdirondack high back chairs - pair.Category
20th Century American Adirondack Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Mid-20th Century Child's Old Hickory Upholstered ChairBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis amazing hickory children's chair is upholstered in cotton durable fabric and in very good condition. Seat height 14 in high.Category
Mid-20th Century American Adirondack More Folk Art
MaterialsHickory
$695 Sale Price44% Off - Fantastic Signed Old Hickory Side ChairBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is a amazing signed Old Hickory Furniture Company, Martinsville, Indiana. Side or desk chair in great as found condition. This cha...Category
Early 20th Century American Side Chairs
MaterialsHickory
$695 Sale Price62% Off - Old Hickory Tall-Back Paddle-Arm Chair W/Slat SeatsBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAOld Hickory tall-back paddle-arm chair with slat seat and back, circa 1940. Stamped Old Hickory Furniture Co., Martinsville, this side chair is in ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Adirondack Chairs
MaterialsWood
$995 Sale Price23% Off - Early 20th C Old Hickory Hexagonal Shaped Dining TableLocated in Los Angeles, CAEarly 20th C Old Hickory hexagonal shaped dining table. Made by Rustic Hickory Furniture Company, La Porte, Indiana. Circa 1915. It...Category
20th Century American Adirondack Dining Room Tables
MaterialsHickory, Wood
- Old Hickory 3 Hoop ChairLocated in Palm Springs, CAPretty old hickory 3 hoop armchair. In very good condition. Bears a brass tag on the bottom, GM 1477.Category
20th Century American Chairs
MaterialsWood
$1,100 - Old Hickory Barrel-Back SetteeBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Houston, TXOld Hickory barrel-back settee with a bent hickory frame and a woven splint seat and back. Note: Regional differences in humidity and climate during shipp...Category
Mid-20th Century American Rustic Benches
MaterialsHickory
- Rustic Old Hickory Bar Stool c. 1940'sBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in New York, NYOld Hickory bar height stool of wood, and woven cane. Hard to find form, not often seen on the market, fully and correctly marked. The stool is in very good, clean, original conditi...Category
Vintage 1940s American Rustic Stools
MaterialsCane, Wood
- Old Hickory American Provincial Paddle Arm Lounge Chair c 1940'sBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in New York, NYClassic American Rustic furniture - lounge, armchair, made by the Old Hickory Furniture Company circa 1940's. The chair features a solid oak frame with a woven wicker backrest, it...Category
Vintage 1940s American Rustic Armchairs
MaterialsWicker, Oak
- Old Hickory Accent Chair With Deer Skin CoveringBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Lambertville, NJAn Old Hickory side chair with deer skin seat and back. The hickory wood frame with natural bark with a light finish over the surface. The seat and back in natural color deer skin. M...Category
20th Century American Adirondack Side Chairs
MaterialsAnimal Skin, Hickory
- Unusual Primitive 19th Century Swedish ChairLocated in Mjöhult, SEUnusual primitive and sculptural early 19th century Swedish / Scandinavian folk art chair. Ca 1800 Sweden.Category
Antique Early 19th Century Folk Art Chairs
MaterialsPine