Douro Campaign Chair

A dark stained satin birch Douro folding Campaign Chair.

The chair's back is caned with hessian over webbing for the seat, as is typical of the Douro. We have had buttoned, moss green leather cushions made for the chair. The back cushion is shaped to the neck and lumber to offer more support and so comfort. The angle of the back's recline can be set to five different positions by adjusting the length of the leather arm straps. The straps fix onto hooks fitted to the arm posts.

The top of the back of the chair is rounded in shape and although this design is associated with JW Allen. Maples and Thompson of 116 Long Acre are also known to have sold chairs with a similar shape. We have also seen leg stretchers with the same turning to Allen Douros but not the arm posts.

The folding mechanism to the chair is quite simple. With the cushion removed and the arm straps undone, the X frame legs will pull together with the hessian seat support folding in half. The back will also fold backwards on its iron hinges to rest against the legs. The arm posts, also on iron hinges will fall forward to also rest against the folded legs. A minor point in design, that we haven't seen before, is that the underside of the arm posts have a hole to locate to a lug on the seat frame. It is probable that the chair was originally sold with a painted pine packing case with removable legs to form a table in camp.

Douro chairs were made over a long period of time and by most of the recognised campaign furniture makers. Allen illustrated one in their 1855 catalogue and Lord Raglan used one in the Crimean War. They were made before these dates but also into the early 20th Century. Circa 1875.