A Hepplewhite chair, with distinctive shield-shaped back.

George Hepplewhite (1727? - June 21, 1786) was a cabinet and chair maker. Year 1727 ( MDCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A chair is a kind of Furniture for Sitting, consisting of a back and sometimes arm rests commonly for use by one person He was one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Chippendale. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Thomas Sheraton ( 1751 - October 22 1806) was a furniture designer, one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century Thomas Chippendale ( Otley, near Leeds baptised - November 1779 was a London Cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian There are no pieces of furniture made by Hepplewhite or his firm known to exist but he gave his name to a distinctive style of light, elegant furniture that was fashionable between about 1775 and 1800. Year 1775 ( MDCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year -of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar until Friday, but 12 days ahead since Saturday. Reproductions of his designs continued through the following centuries. One characteristic that is seen in many of his designs, but not all of them, is a shield-shaped chair back, where an expansive shield appeared in place of a narrower splat design. A splat is the vertical central element of a Chair back Typically this element of a chair is of exposed Wood design

Life and work

Very little is known about Hepplewhite himself. Some established sources list no birth information; however a "George Hepplewhite" was born in 1727 ^[1] in Ryton Parish,^[1] County Durham, England. Year 1727 ( MDCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He served his apprenticeship in Lancaster and then moved to London, where he opened a shop. Lancaster (pronounced ˈlæŋˌkæstə or ˈlænˌkæstə is a City in Lancashire, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. After he died in 1786, the business was continued by his widow, Alice. Year 1786 ( MDCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In 1788 she published a book with about 300 of his designs, The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide is a famous antiquarian Book, reference book and non-fiction work all in one Two further editions were published in 1789 and 1790. Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Many are quick to praise the designer George Hepplewhite and few notice the in discrepancies of his sudden fame. The published guide books, that claim George Hepplewhite as their author, were released after his death. It was not until years after his death that his designs started to receive recognition. Alice, his widow, was responsible for publishing the books. Later editions of his book were released by Alice multiple years after his death. Little is known about the man George Hepplewhite. His death certificate seems to offer the only evidence of his existence. The question rises if “George Hepplewhite” was a man or just a name for Alice Hepplewhite to publish under?

With contemporaries such as Thomas Chippendale producing pieces in a variety of styles Hepplewhite’s famed style is more easily identifiable. Hepplewhite produced designs that were slender, more curvilinear in shape, and well balanced. There are some characteristics that hint at a Hepplewhite design. Look for shorter more curved chair arms, straight legs, shield- shape chair backs, all without carving. The design would receive ornamentation from paint and inlays used on the piece.

The book influenced cabinet makers and furniture companies for several generations. Furniture is the Mass noun for the movable objects which may support the human body (seating furniture and beds, provide storage or hold objects on horizontal The work of these generations influenced in turn copies of the original designs and variants of them through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "America's First Lady and the Roddams of North West Durham" (family history for Hillary Rodham Clinton), Geoff Nicholson, webpage: Unet-HRoddom. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from

References

• Geoff Nicholson, "America's First Lady and the Roddams of North West Durham" (family history for Hillary Rodham Clinton), webpage: Unet-HRoddom. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from

See also

• Luke Vincent Lockwood

External links

• Project Gutenberg article on Heppelwhite from Furnishing The Home of Good Taste by Lucy Abbot Throop