Sedan chair, late 18th century

This is a sedan chair and was one of the Science Museum’s earliest acquisitions, entering the collections in 1867. The Sedan Chair is said to have been introduced into England by Sir Sanders Duncombe as early as 1581, but its most popular period was in the 18th century, when it was largely used in the same way as is the modern cab.

This chair consists of an enclosed seat provided with a door at the front, a window at each side, and a hinged roof to facilitate entry and exit. It would have been carried by two people by means of horizontal lancewood poles that passed through sockets fixed at each side. The frame of the chair is covered outside with leather, and ornamented with rows of nail heads, while the inside is upholstered in cloth.