Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

INFANT'S JUMPING CHAIR

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1960

Materials

STEEL, COTTON

No. Pieces

3

Height

58.6

Length

53.5

Width

37.3

Description

1. INFANT CHAIR WITH BENT METAL FRAME, PAINTED GREY. 2-PCE APRICOT-COLORED HEAVY COTTON COVER STRETCHED OVER BACK OF FRAME AND FRONT PIECE, FORMING SEAT AND TRAY. TRIMMED WITH BROWN SEAM BINDING. METAL WIRE ROD EXTENDS ACROSS TRAY HOLDS TWO RED, TWO BLUE, AND TWO YELLOW-PAINTED WOODEN BEADS. SINGLE BELL AT CENTRE. WINGNUTS AT BACK OF FRAME FOR RECLINING SEAT. BASE OF FRAME HAS ROUNDED ENDS; SUSPENSION-STYLE FRAME ALLOWS SEAT TO ROCK OR BOUNCE. PAINT CHIPPED ON VARIOUS PORTIONS OF FRAME. 2. ORIGINAL COVER; 2 PIECES. ONE PIECE IS WHITE COTTON BACKING AND SEAT OF CHAIR, TRIMMED WITH LIGHT BLUE SEAM BINDING. ONE END HAS DOUBLE-THICKNESS; ROUNDED AT TOP TO STRETCH OVER BACK OF FRAME. DIAPER-STYLE AT OPPOSITE END, FORMING LEG-HOLES OF SEAT. LARGE TEAR AT ONE SIDE OF SEAT BACKING; COVER IS BADLY SOILED THROUGHOUT. SECOND PIECE, MADE OF SAME FABRIC, IS RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE TO FORM TRAY. HEM ALONG THREE SIDES TO SECURE TO FRAME. TWO LARGE TEARS; SOILED AND WORN THROUGHOUT.

Subjects

FURNITURE

Historical Association

FURNISHINGS

History

PURCHASED BY DONOR THROUGH SIMPSON SEARS' CATALOGUE IN 1958, FOR FIRST CHILD. ACCORDING TO DONOR, CHAIR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DUAL PURPOSE. CHILD COULD SIT IN IT ON LIVING ROOM CHAIR OR COUCH; ROUNDED ENDS OF BASE LOCKED INTO BACK OFCOUCH. DONOR REPLACED ORIGINAL SEAT WITH SECOND (APRICOT-COLORED) ONE, WHICH WAS EITHER HANDMADE BY HERSELF OR ORDERED THROUGH CATALOGUE. USED FOR GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL. NARRATIVE BELOW SOLICITED FROM IRMA DOGTEROM IN EARLY 2010 WHEN THIS ARTIFACT WAS EXHIBITED AS PART OF THE GALT’S TREASURES & CURIOSITIES DISPLAY. THE NARRATIVE BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE ARTIFACT’S LABEL COPY IN THE EXHIBIT. *** THE “JUMPING CHAIR” AS IT WAS CALLED, WAS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A “JOLLY JUMPER”. THE CHAIR DID NOT REQUIRE AN OVERHEAD HOOKUP TO SUSPEND IT FOR ACTION. OF COURSE IT DID NOT GIVE QUITE SUCH AN ACTIVE BOUNCE. IT WAS MORE PORTABLE, AND COULD BE USED INDOOR OR OUTDOOR, BEING OF VERY LIGHT WEIGHT. IF NECESSARY IT WOULD TURN A SOLID KITCHEN CHAIR INTO A “HIGH” CHAIR. IT COULD BE PUT ON THE SOFA IN THE LIVING ROOM IF NECESSARY, IN THE CAR PRE CAR SEATS, OR OUTSIDE WHEN TASKS TOOK MOM OUTSIDE. THE TRAY ON THE FRONT MEANT SNACKS OR TOYS COULD BE PLACED IN REACH OF THE CHILD. THE SIDE BRACES GAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF “SPRING”, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS A JOLLY JUMPER. IT WAS PROBABLY A PRECURSOR TO A “JOLLY JUMPER” BUT IT HAD ITS ADVANTAGES AS WELL. MY DAUGHTER, BEING SOMEWHAT HANDICAPPED PHYSICALLY, FOUND IT VERY APPROPRIATE FOR HER EARLY YEARS. *** INFORMATION BELOW PROVIDED BY DONOR AT THE REQUEST OF THE GALT IN 2010. “NO FURTHER INFORMATION.” *** PHOTOCOPIES OF ADVERTISING MATERIAL ACCOMPANY PERMANENT FILE

Catalogue Number

P19980040002

Acquisition Date

1999-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail