Windsor Chairmaking

Windsor chairs are a beautiful and traditional feature in any home. Some three hundred years of tradition lie behind chairs made today. While sound joints are essential, it is the sensitive shaping of each component that leads to a fine chair. This lavish book celebrates their history and explains their heritage. It compares and contrasts the distinct Windsor designs from England and America. Tools, techniques and the selection of materials are extensively covered. Detailed plans and measurements for four chairs [two English, two American] are provided and allow makers on one side of the Atlantic to attempt a chair from the other side. A unique study of a magnificent 18th century armchair brings to life the 260 year old story told by the tool marks and other clues left by the maker. Guidance and techniques explain how to design your own chair from scratch, taking into account the anthropomorphic nature of these chairs and the messages they can send out.

James Mursell has been making Windsor chairs since the mid-1990s. Initially he learnt from chairmakers in England and America but to a large extent is self-apprenticed, learning from constant experimentation and trial and error. He now teaches his craft from his home where he has built a teaching workshop on his farm. He promotes Windsor chairmaking by exhibiting and demonstrating widely around England and regularly writes for British woodworking magazines. Resident - West Sussex