Slat-back chairs; ladder-back chairs...

female red-breasted mergansers

The most interesting thing happening from my shop today (Sunday) was the red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) in the river. Otherwise I was unpacking and sorting/cleaning after having been teaching chairmaking at Pete Galbert’s all last week. We had 8 people from far and wide and all went home with a Jennie Alexander-style chair (or shipped theirs home to meet them there). There’s so many questions and threads that come up during the class that only get a basic answer. Many of the questions were about what method/format/style did “they” use historically. That’s such a broad subject - but I’ll start with a look at a few details about slats in particular.

On Saturday we spent a good part of the day shaving and installing the slats in the finished chairs. JA built the chair and “popped” the slats in after assembly. Principally this was because she used two different lengths of slats, different curves to them as well. I bring one of her chairs (& one of mine) with me when I teach this class -

JA chair, early 2000s

At a glance this looks like a very old style chair - and in many senses, it is. But at the same time it’s a very modern take on an old form. Alexander used to say it’s all straight lines below the seat and all curves above. There were times when the slats had straight edges - like this one she made for the Museum of Fine Arts about 1982.

JA chair, MFA Boston, 1982