Gillows perspectives

The sketch on the right comes from Susan Stuart's article in the Journal of The Regional Furniture Society (2010) More about Gillows’ Windsor and Common Chairs  captioned: "A high back Windsor chair painted green, ash with deal spindles. Made by Joseph Wilcock, December 1806. Westminister Archive Centre 344/ 99, fol. 1804".

There are one or two other sketches of Gillows' Windsors which survive and they all seem to have this slightly curious 'bird's eye' view and I've never understood quite why they were drawn this way. Then I came across the photo on the left in the Courtyard Antiques sold archive.  The similarity is striking and rather pleasing.

Thames Valley comb back & Gillows bow back Windsors in Jamaica Inn (1939)

Thanks to my old friend Paul Noakes for spotting these Windsors on film:

Jamaica Inn (1939). Film by Hitchock. Dramatic end for Leslie Banks. Thames Valley comb back vase splat Windsor armchair with cabriole legs by unknown maker, (1750-1770) #regionalfurniture #windsorchair #ThamesValley pic.twitter.com/u2ie118HMG

— Julian Parker (@jhjparker) January 7, 2020

and

Jamaica Inn (1939) Film by Hitchcock. Romantic lead by Robert Newton. Windsor chair by Gillows of Lancaster. #regionalfurniture #windsorchair #Gillows pic.twitter.com/G3jar5k1Bb

— Julian Parker (@jhjparker) January 7, 2020

An excellent article "Gillow’s ‘Neat and Strong Windsor Chairs’ for home and export in the eighteenth century" by Susan E. Stuart may be found on the Regional Furniture Society website. Her more recent update article More about Gillows’ Windsor and Common Chairs is also available on the RFS website.

Robert Parrott and Michael Harding Hill's article John Pitt (1714 - 1759) Thames Valley Windsor Chair Maker  discusses early Thames Valley chairs similar to the one in the first Jamaica Inn Tweet above.