Adjustable dental chair, mid 19th century
This early adjustable dental chair has plush upholstered seating with elaborate wooden carvings – the arms take the form of two eagle heads. As a specialised piece of furniture it is representative of the emergence of the dentist as a separate profession. The quality of the chair also suggests that there was a wealthy clientele ready and willing to pay for dental services.
The first reclining chair was invented in 1832 by James Snell, a London dentist who was also a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Details
- Category:
- Dentistry
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A29615
- Materials:
- frame, mahogany, frame, iron and upholstery, velvet, crimson
- type:
- dentist's chair
- credit:
- Segerem, W.