Before the 1850s, few chairs were made for comfort. Seventeenth and early 18th-century American chairs were designed with hard seats and straight backs and few had arms. People were expected to ...

and the chair is an uncommon example of the often whimsical furniture that is characteristic of 18th century Hampton work,” said Elizabeth Aykroyd, a member of the Hampton Historical Society’s ...

From the ancient times until the 1800s, many women gave birth with the aid of parturition chairs, specially designed seats that allowed women to sit upright or recline while giving birth.