This elegant Windsor is a reproduction of a Tracy Sackback chair with carved knuckle arms. It is based on an original antique brought to me last year by a customer who has had this particular chair in his family for generations. The chair was a favorite and he wanted copies made for his children.

   My initial response was "Ho-hum," another factory product from the late nineteenth century, stripped of its original finish, and given the usual brown varnished look, common to redone antiques. But, the chair itself was comfortable, with nicely proportioned carved knuckles, and a slightly squashed down top bow, a look I was unfamiliar with. My interest was further piqued when I started measuring the chair. While appearing indentical, no two legs were the same in overall diameter. Each had been individually turned apparently without even the use of calipers. This immediately made me think the chair was of early providence.

   Getting really interested now, I started flipping through my books on Windsor chairs, without really expecting to be fortunate enough to find a match. Imagine my astonishment in finding not one, but over six examples, all attributed to the tracy family, of Connecticut. Chairs of this pattern were made by all three generations of the Tracy's. Each generation made subtle changes to the finished chairs, which allows us to be pretty clear about when a particular chair was made, and by whom. Based on my research, and comparisons with known examples, I believe that the antique Windsor I was asked to copy was of the first of the Tracy line, Ebenexer. It was probably crafted between 1785 and 1790.

   The second original Tracy chair to come my way. It is a real privilege to handle something so beautiful, made over two centuries ago, by craftsman I feel I know.