For a child: side chair with ebonised wooden frame and rush seat; made in England by Morris & Co, ca. 1870

Child's side chair, of turned and ebonised wood with a rush seat. The chair back consists of three plain cylindrical horizontal rails, with three ringed and doubly tapering spindles set between the lower two. The back stays curve slightly backward and are cut from squared lengths of wood, made in one piece with the back legs; the back stays are finished with a curve at the top. The front legs are rounded in section and taper towards the plain foot; and the chair has paired stretchers at the side and single stretchers at front and back.

Given by Miss Forrester

Given by Miss Maria Y B Forrester (born in France ca. 1872), then living at the Aban Court Hotel, Harrington Gardens, London SW7. Acquisition RF 61/ 1508; transferred to F&W 02/12/1991 (RF 71/31670). Miss Forrester wrote that her parents' house in Lexham Gardens was "decorated by him [Morris] in person about 1879" and that she "can just remember [him] when she was about 6 years old as wearing an open collar, large black bow tie, & whose fingers were stained with indigo blue...I lost all my possessions in 1940, but still have my very small rush-bottomed Wm Morris baby chair". Her parents, William O Forrester, a sportswear shipper, and his wife Ysobel were evidently enthusiasts for Morris's designs, as when they moved to 43 Hans Place in about 1900 "the rooms were again hung with Morris papers".

CIRC.215-1961