An office chair is a chair designed for use at a desk in a counting house, study, bank, solicitor's office or other place of work. Antique examples are typically swivel chairs with a revolving seat on a central column, often combined with a tilting mechanism and a base of four or five splayed legs, many fitted with castors.
The swivel desk chair developed during the nineteenth century as offices expanded with the growth of banking, commerce, railways and government administration. Victorian and Edwardian examples were made in oak, mahogany, walnut and beech, often with a curved bow back and arms in the manner of a captain's chair, a padded leather seat or a turned spindle back. Mechanisms made of cast iron with screw threads and springs allowed height adjustment and a gentle rocking tilt. In the twentieth century, industrial designers introduced steel and aluminium chairs with adjustable backs, and these are now also collected. Collectors look for a solid frame, an original mechanism that works smoothly, good-quality leather or replacement upholstery, and maker's labels from known office furniture suppliers. A period office chair makes a characterful companion to a partners' desk in a modern home office.
