Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Windsor style chair
By Terry and Kim Kovel
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The Bonhams Skinner auction where this chair sold listed it as a Harvard University Windsor chair, bringing together two icons of colonial America. Harvard University, originally called the New College, was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636, making it the oldest college in the United States. This means that Harvard predates the Windsor chair in America.
This midcentury Windsor style chair features the crest and colors of Harvard University. It sold for $438, more than twice its estimate, at a Bonhams Skinner auction. PHOTO CREDIT: Kovels.com
The first Windsor chairs were made in England in the seventeenth century, and they were being made in Philadelphia by the 1730s. There were many variations on the Windsor chair, especially in America.
American designers were the first to add rockers and writing arms to Windsor chairs. The chair can be made in many shapes, and they can be easily distinguished by the shape of the chair's back.
No matter the style, a Windsor chair can be recognized by its spindle back, turned legs and stretcher base. They are made with stick-and-socket construction, meaning the chairs are built by inserting the legs and the back spindles into holes in the seat. Windsor chairs and similar styles are also called "stick furniture."
Q: I have a fairly rare, autographed baseball from the 1940s, signed by one of the most famous baseball players of all time. The authenticity of the item, signature, etc. is all documented. Do you have a good source where I can get a fair estimate of value?
A: Value depends on the fame of the player, significance of the event, rarity and condition. The highest price paid for an autographed ball was $3 million for Mark McGuire's 70th home run ball, the record for home runs in a single season, in 1998. You didn't say who autographed your ball. Babe Ruth is often considered the greatest baseball player of all time. His autographed ball, the first home run hit in an All Star game (1933), sold for $805,000 in 2006. Babe Ruth autographed balls often come up for auction and prices vary. A ball in near mint to mint condition sold last year for $7,620. Contact an auction house that specializes in sports memorabilia. You can find some listed in Kovels.com's Business Directory.
TIP: Examine a piece of furniture and look for unexplained holes, stains and fade marks. They may indicate a fake or repair.
CURRENT PRICES
Advertising, poster, "24 Hours of LeMans," 14 & 15 June 1969, photo image of sports cars and race track, A. Delourmel, linen backing, 24 x 15 1/2 inches, $250.
Brass cigar cutter, deer's head, antlers, elongated neck with textured finish, 6 1/4 inches, $425.
Toy, pedal car, Studebaker Golden Jet Hawk, pressed steel, original horn, Midwest Industries, c. 1957, 37 inches, $875.
Perfume bottle, cameo glass, etched butterfly and fern, red ground, tapered laydown shape, sterling silver hinged cap with RK monogram, Thomas Webb, cap marked Gorham, 8 x 1 3/4 inches, $1,500.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com
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