Friday, August 21, 2009

Guess the Victorian Mystery Object #1: The Curious Chair

Can you guess what this mysterious Victorian-era chair was used for? I wouldn't have guessed, I know. I'll post the link that answers the riddle tomorrow, to give you a little time to ponder.

Hint: we use other things for the same purpose today, but this particular use of a chair never really caught on.

It dates from the 1840s.

It is not Queen Victoria's children's high chair.

Have fun and I'll post a link to the answer tomorrow! If I can keep finding things I might make this a regular feature of Dime Museum. And maybe I will think of some other fun odd-history-related things to do here, too.

14 comments:

FreshHell said...

Is it like a scale? I notice the accordion pleating under the chair as if it rises and falls depending on how big you are.

Lidian said...

FreshHell - Excellent guess! But I am not telling...yet.

Patricia Rockwell said...

It looks like those chairs in railroad stations where men sit to get their shoes polished.

Eric said...

The bellows function that FreshHell brings up is a great observation. Something to do with a musical instrument like an organ perhaps?
Probably not an early form of air conditioning, lol.

James Nevius said...

A commode?

Kittybriton said...

Makes me think of an adjustable-height barber's chair from before the development of mechanical chairs

Alison said...

It does look like it concertinas...but I'm not sure, for medicinal purposes perhaps. Or maybe heated?

Lidian said...

Hi everybody - Those are all excellent guesses but no one's got it yet! ;)

Amanda said...

I'm going to go with some kind of torture device like an electric chair.

jacqueline said...

I'm with Patricia Rockwell. I'm thinking shoe polishing. Nice chair. :-)

Pam Walter said...

I'm totally stumped and looking forward to the answer! Love the idea of guessing the object; hope you do some more of these. www.satisfiedsole.com

Poetic Shutterbug said...

Either Shoe Shines or pedicures.

Isis said...

Is it an early version of the barber's chair?

Isis said...

Is it an early version of the barber's chair?