Object Number 1970.0071 A

Object Name

Chair (Easy chair)

Category

Furniture

Credit Line/Donor

Gift of Mrs. Walter H. Salzenberg

Creator (Role)

J. Pope (Furniture Maker)

Brunschwig & Fils, Inc. (Fabric manufacturer)

Joseph Li Volsi (Upholsterer)
August 14, 1907-October 22, 1985
Per telephone conversation with Paul Periconi, nephew of Joseph LiVolsi, 08/18/2009: LiVolsi was born on August 14, 1907. His father, Salvatore, and his mother immigrated from Italy. Joseph LiVolsi was a third generation upholsterer. LiVolsi married his wife, Grace on November 18, 1934. In addition to working for Winterthur, Mr. Periconi notes that his uncle did work for the White House refurnishing project and for Mount Vernon, among other museums. LiVolsi worked at home after his retirement until the time of his death. It is very likely that all information, fabric scraps, and tools pertaining to his upholstery business were disposed of after Grace LiVolsi's death in 2007. (SAJ, 08/18/2009) More information about LiVolsi is available on the website: http://www.scovottifamily.com/grace.html

Place of Origin

Boston or Salem, Suffolk or Essex, Massachusetts, New England, United States, North America

Origin Notes

Origin is northeastern Massachusetts, probably Boston or Salem.

Secondary Place of Origin

France, Europe

Secondary Origin Notes

This fabric,"Galieni" was manufactured by Brunschwig & Fils, Inc. The fabric was stamped and woven in France.

Date

1760-1790

Materials

Mahogany; Maple, soft; Wool

Techniques

Stamped, Woven (plain)

Dimensions (inches)

45.625 (H) , 35 (W) , 32 (D)

Dimensions (centimeters)

115.888 (H) , 88.9 (W) , 81.28 (D)

Measurement Notes

OW at arms; OD from back of crest to front of feet. H (seat) 13.125 in. (33.3 cm); W (wings) 28 in. (71.7 cm); W (seat front) 31.75 in. (80.6 cm); W (seat back) 24 in. (60.9 cm); W (feet) 33.125 in. (84.1 cm); D (seat) 22.625 in. (57.4 cm); D (feet) 25.75 in. (65.4 cm).

Object Description

Text available soon.

Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes

[Book] Richards, Nancy E. & Evans, Nancy Goyne. 1997 New England Furniture at Winterthur: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods.
• Published cat. no. 86, pp. 158-59.
[Book] Cooke, Edward S. 1987 Upholstery in America & Europe from the Seventeenth Century to World War I. 273.
• Upholstery techniques: figs. 83-86, pp. 97-99;
[Book] Jobe, Brock & Kaye, Myrna. 1984 New England Furniture in the Colonial Era.
• Published no. 111-33, p. 98;
[Manuscript] Bertrand, Rebecca & Parks, Sarah. Seasonal Change Study.
• See Curator of Textiles for Seasonal Change Study binder discussing this object.