Cane

Object Name:

Cane

Object ID:

1969.035.01

Creator:

Richardson, C. D. & CompanyManufacturer

Place of Origin:

Philadelphia, PA

Date:

circa 1880

Description:

Combination cane and chair. Light colored wood, short metal finial, simple metal cap at top, bottom foot of cane narrower than upper third, split to divide into legs for a chair. They pivot so they expand outward. Flat surface with flathead wood screw extends slightly from end surface at top end of each piece. Notches in main shaft allowing these pins and angles surfaces to slide into a flush, resting position. Different angles reside inside metal cap when cap is in place. End surfaces coincide with bottom plane resting on ground when left extended. Two leather straps with one large and one small hole at end, and wood strap with metal plates on bottom, keyhole cut into plates. Wooden piece, 10.2" long, 1.9" wide, 0.3" thick; two metal plates ~1.5" x 1.8". Held in place to wood by two rivets. Third rivet holds metal plate and one leather strap each. Leather straps: one 11" long, other 12.4" long. Holes ~1" in their ends. End with large hole, has second smaller piece of leather, ~2" long, sewn in place to reinforce hole. Stitching around hole. Large holes pass over thick part of shaft. Wood and metal plate has their keyhole slots, passes over and locks onto flathead screws on ends of legs. About 15" from bottom of shaft, shaft becomes larger: 0.8" diameter to 1.33" x 1.3". Slightly oval in large portion. Steel pivot pin on one side, from bottom end of shaft at ~25.25" up. On other side, pivot pin 23.7" from base. Two pieces spliced off central shaft. Both ~1.16" wide, depth ~0.37".
Paper label reads, "CENTENNIAL / CANE AND CHAIR COMBINED, / (Italics) Patented February 16th, 1875. / (Serif letters) Manufactured and for Sale by / C. D. RICHARDSON & CO., / N[ ] Market St., / PH[ILA]DELPHIA." On opposite side, another paper label, rectangular with black label: "DIRECTIONS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING". Rough outline on how to open and close listed in 12 lines of text below the title. Not listed here. Much worn and illegible.

Material:

Wood
Metal
Tissue
Leather

Dimensions:

L-35.1 Dia-1.3 inches Weight-18.7 oz

Credit Line:

Gift of Margaret Jackman Gesen

People:

Gesen, Margaret Jackman (1904-1993)

Subjects:

Canes, Chairs