Poynor Armless Sewing Rocker
File Name |
shades_guid_0001.tif |
Creator |
Poynor, Richard |
Title |
Poynor Armless Sewing Rocker |
Alternate Title |
Rocking Chair |
Date |
ca. 1855 |
Genre |
Artifacts |
Material/Technique |
Hickory, maple and walnut with split oak seat |
Description |
Armless rocking chair with split-bottom seat and missing wood in top slat. |
Historical note |
This chair was made by Richard Poynor (1802-1882) an African American furniture artisan in Williamson County, Tennessee. Poynor, born into slavery, purchased his freedom in the 1850s. A prolific and popular chairmaker, Poynor is best-known for this type of ladderback chair, with its distinctive arched slats. Seats were usually fashioned from oak splits, rockers from walnut, and chair frames from hickory and maple. This chair, reputed to have been inside the Carter House, in Franklin, Tennessee, during the Battle of Franklin in November 1864, was apparently damaged by a bullet. The Carter family's son Todd, a Confederate soldier, died in the house from wounds suffered during the same battle. |
Subject |
Rocking chairs; Franklin, Battle of, Franklin, Tenn., 1864; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Campaigns & battles |
Theme |
Walking a Fine Line |
Story |
Richard Poynor |
Tags |
African American artisans |
Geographic Location |
United States--Tennessee--Franklin; United States--Tennessee--Williamson County |
Time period |
1860-1869 |
Rights |
Images reproduced on this website are intended for individual, educational use only. For research inquiries about specific objects or requests for high resolution images, contact the Carter House/Battle of Franklin Trust. |
Credit line |
Photograph by John Guider. Courtesy, Carter House / Battle of Franklin Trust |
Contributing Institution |
Carter House / Battle of Franklin Trust |
Digital Publisher |
Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University |
Reference URL |
http://content.mtsu.edu/u?/shades,160 |
Archival file |
shades11/shades_guid_0001.tif |
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