folding canvas stools

[kate/bob]

I've been doing some research into chairs and stools (WoTR). Having looked at loads of images of lots of different classes of people (posh people dining, all the way through different trades to milkmaids) I haven't seen anything that looks like the folding stools that are so very popular. Are these another re-enactorism or could someone point in the direction of a picture?

[guthrie]

That's a point, I don't think I've seen any pictures either.
Yet my memory suggests there's one or two somewhere...

Edited to add - found this thread on the armour archive - nobody seems to have any evidence for those 3 legged leather seated stools:
http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB3/ ... ding+stool

[kate/bob]

thanks for that Guthrie. there's a lovely picture of a seat like the one I've got. I might start exploring hunting or fighting scenes for other folding stools as if they existed they're probably going to be used by people on the move.

[sally]

there is a brief thread here on the 3legged traingular ones, we managed to find a mid Victorian example, but so far nothing earlier http://livinghistory.co.uk/forums/viewt ... ilit=zebra

[Karen Larsdatter]

I've been doing some research into chairs and stools (WoTR). Having looked at loads of images of lots of different classes of people (posh people dining, all the way through different trades to milkmaids) I haven't seen anything that looks like the folding stools that are so very popular. Are these another re-enactorism or could someone point in the direction of a picture?

Not sure which folding stools you're talking about exactly, but are they like these?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/julio-clau ... 909948957/
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/ ... tails.aspx
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O3800 ... ing-stool/
http://thomasguild.blogspot.com/2011/12 ... hairs.html

Also http://www.artsmia.org/directories/art- ... on&key=all if you'd like to see a Chinese example.

[Mark Griffin]

yes, never seen the tripod sort any earlier than mid victorian. I've got a couple from late 19th that are gentleman's safari requisites.

When did finding a picture/proof ever stop anyone though... stargazer chair anyone?

[kate/bob]

It was star gazer chairs that got me started on this. I thought it would be hypocritical to tell someone else that their chair wasn't authentic unless I was sure that mine was!

Thanks for those links Karen. The St Thomas guild one is particularly interesting. The stools I'm looking into are the ones that have six or eight pices of wood with a pin through the middle as the legs and a linen seat (that may be the worst description ever!). It looks like something similar without the extra "legs" is fine.

[moosiemoosiegander]

Hiya

I've never seen an example of the canvas topped folding stools or indeed a stool with a canvas top at all, they seem to be a cross between Victorian (and later) campaign stools crossed with the folding medieval savonarola chairs. Practical though they are, I'd be reluctant at this stage to say that they were authentic, although would be overjoyed to find that they were!