Henry Coombs Rocking Chair
DimensionsOverall: 104 × 60 × 82 cm (1.04 × 0.6 × 0.82 m)
Credit LineGift of Mrs. E. Martin, 1994
Object number1994.050.001
Label TextThis parlour rocking chair is attributed to Henry Coombs (1819-1882). As with other cabinetmakers, Coombs didn’t put his name on every piece of furniture that came from his shop. This makes it difficult to identify with certainty the manufacturer of a particular piece of furniture. In this instance, the chair has strong family connection. The donor, Evelyn Martin (1909-2000), was Coombs’ granddaughter. Her father was Henry Boaz Coombs (1856-1913).
English-born Henry Coombs (1819-1882) immigrated to London in 1843 and soon opened a cabinet-making business. He operated it at King and Richmond streets, on the northwest corner of the Market Square, until he closed up shop in 1875. The notice announcing the closure highlighted the medals Coombs’ furniture had won locally and in Paris, France. It also noted that customers could be confident of the quality of his goods. While other manufacturers had adopted machinery, Coombs still trusted the skill of trained craftsmen.
NameChair, Rocking
CopyrightPhoto Credit: Toni Hafkenscheid
