Note Type
Curatorial RemarksNote
(One of set)?
11/1/96: Margo Van Cott, furniture historian, examined the chair. Looked for construction details known to be on similar square-backed chairs by Thomas Burling, New York cabinetmaker, active 1769-1802. Features include: quarter-round glue blocks with vertical graining; Lamb's tongue finish on chamfered corners to legs and rails.
Chairs in other collections: Boscobel; Fraunces Tavern, (New York, NY); Valentine Museum; Lawrence Prince, private collector and descendant of Thomas Burling-owns a set of six including an armchair and a fake (made to complete the set?); The Rye Historical Society. Note: Mr. Prince donated a portion of his set to the Rye Historical Society. Mrs. Van Cott was not certain what portion of the set was donated. She noted that each of these examples has slightly different construction variations and placements of the lamb's tongue.
Mrs. Van Cott is author of a forthcoming article on Thomas Burling in the Chipstone Foundation's journal.
11/20/96: Letter from Mrs. Van Cott (see file) Enclosed photocopy of 3 views of a chair of the set of six owned by Lawrence Prince, "who descends from Edward Burling, 1674-1749, great uncle of Thos. Burling. Thos. Burling briefly had a partner John Burling until 1772, but it is not known if it was his brother John or another by the same name, such as Edward's son John Burling (1703-1785)."
Condition:
Good. Appears to have been repaired extensively in the past. Most notably, the front right leg was severely split and repaired. Fracture filled. Mrs. Van Cott thinks the three wooden pins may have been added to the joint at the time of the repaired. Similar filling on the stretcher.Note Type
General NoteNote
Beekman family possessionNote Type
StorageNoteNote
Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Van Cortlandt Manor, Southeast Bedroom/Storage