American Period Furniture 2007  Online Extras

The Chairmaker Part III

The steel springs stand between the rails of the underframe, and the height of the frame allows them a certain mobility. Over the steel springs and the rails of the seat the chairmaker loosely stretches unbleached linen and fastens it with tacks. This linen cloth carries the horsehair, which is preferred above all other hair because it is the most elastic. The chairmaker buys this hair already boiled (Gesotten) and twisted to an extent. He must then untwist it with the help of a small reel (Haspel) and loosen it most carefully with the fingers. The customer would easily take notice immediately if the hair were to bunch up. The unloosened hair will be laid in an appropriate amount on the linen cloth which the chairmaker nails onto the seat, and over the horsehair once again unbleached linen will be fastened to the seat with tacks. The back of the sofa the chairmaker upholsters in the manner previously discussed, except that it does not receive any steel springs. He therefore stretches one strap only behind the back lengthwise and two across its breadth. Over the linen cover the sofa is customarily covered with silk cloth. The chairmaker is most familiar with all of the parts of a chair. He can, therefore, skillfully cut the covering and this may be stitched only by a seamstress. This pertains also to the cap (Kappe), which occasionally is covered with a silk top cover. It [the cap] is made of a cotton or linen material, and fastened to the chair only with strong upholstery tacks. These tacks are so strong that they can be easily driven into the chair. The pillows that lie at the ends of the sofa the chairmaker makes out of linen, stuffs them with horsehair, and upholsters them with the same fabric with which the chair is upholstered. Over and above at least 40 pounds of horsehair are required for the chairmaker to conservatively upholster the sofa. It is best for the customer to note that the unscrupulous sofa salesman fastens the straps on top of the seat in order to save horsehair. The steel springs lift the upholstery of such a seat when they are new, but since the steel springs have no room to move, they loose their elasticity and the upholstery sinks in a short time. In addition to the chairmaker, the wallpaper hanger/upholsterer (Tapezierer) also prepares the chairs for upholstery.