“Come In and Have a Seat” at Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
When early American settlers followed the Great Valley Road through what was then a frontier to the West, many just stopped to settle in the Shenandoah Valley. They brought with them diverse European styles and skills that influenced whatever they built or handcrafted. The melting pot of cultural influences can be easily seen in Valley furniture designs. The latest Changing Exhibition Gallery exhibit at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is a collection of wooden chairs that represent the Valley's regional woodworking styles in the late 1700s and 1800s.
"Come In and Have a Seat - Vernacular Chairs of the Shenandoah Valley" is on display at the museum until June 20.
A collection of 43 chairs has been assembled by guest curator Jeffrey S. Evans. There is also a a recreation of a chairmaker's shop on loan from Staunton's Museum of Frontier Culture. The term "vernacular" is a word used to describe a style that's unique to the Shenandoah Valley, says Julie Armel, who is the museum's public relations and marketing coordinator. She said that early Shenandoah Valley furniture-makers took styles that were used in the coastal and Tidewater areas and melded them together, creating their own regional identity. The exhibit is the first of its kind that focuses on Shenandoah Valley vernacular chairs.
The chairs on display include children's chairs, rockers, parlor chairs, stools, even a "necessary chair." Many of the chairs on display were made in Winchester, as well as Frederick, Shenandoah and Augusta Counties. Many have never been on public display before.
The exhibit includes three authentic reproductions of chairs that visitors can sit down on and decide which is the most comfortable. There is also some large chair puzzles where people can try to put together their own Windsor, fancy or ladder-back chair.
Armel says that visitors often look at one of the chairs in the exhibit and realize that they have one just like it back home. They may recognize Valley names that remain familiar as chairs are handed down from generation to generation. A lot of Valley homes may have had only one corner cupboard, but had an entire set of chairs. So there is a much better chance of one or more chairs from a set enduring through the years is much higher than it would be with single piece of furniture, she said.
A "Chair Fair" will cap the exhibit on June 19, where people are encouraged to bring in their own chairs, particular those that could be unique to the Shenandoah Valley. Experts will be on hand to evaluate the chairs. "So hopefully people will be inspired to either investigate what they have in their home or just learn a little bit about chairs here," says Armel. "It's something that a lot of times people don't pay a whole lot of attention to."
The Musuem of the Shenandoah Valley grounds include a historic house furnished with fine art and antiques, six acres of garderns and a museum building with eleven gallery rooms, a cafe and gift shop. The museum celebrates its 5th anniversary in 2010 with special programs and special admission prices set at $5. Admission to the Musuem galleries is free on Wednesday afternoons from 10 a.m. to noon.
More information is available at www.ShenandoahMuseum.org. Julie Armel is a guest on the Jan. 29, 2010 edition of the Shenandoah Valley Radio® program.
A collection of 43 chairs has been assembled by guest curator Jeffrey S. Evans. There is also a a recreation of a chairmaker's shop on loan from Staunton's Museum of Frontier Culture. The term "vernacular" is a word used to describe a style that's unique to the Shenandoah Valley, says Julie Armel, who is the museum's public relations and marketing coordinator. She said that early Shenandoah Valley furniture-makers took styles that were used in the coastal and Tidewater areas and melded them together, creating their own regional identity. The exhibit is the first of its kind that focuses on Shenandoah Valley vernacular chairs.