on their rockers: abraham lincoln, mark twain, pablo picasso, john f. kennedy ...................................................................................................................

......................... shop .................. competitions .............. education ................ interviews ................... snapshots ................... history .......... contemporary



rocking chairs history


.............................. origin ....................... precursors .................... modern (1) ..................... modern (2) .................. contemporary ............. newcomers



on their rockers

many have claimed that the ingenious dr. benjamin franklin invented the rocking chair by applying rockers to the
lower extremities of his straight chair. he didn't, but he did own one. like him so many writers, politicians, artists...
....................................................................................................................................................................

napoleon and his rocking chair
---		 NAPOLEON (1769-1821)
emperor of the french.

napoleon kept his rocker in the bedroom of his italian residence
at portoferraio, elba
courtesy maria paola maino

abraham lincoln and his rocking chair
---		 ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1809-1865)
the sixteenth president of the united states.

'early american' style rocking chair.
the last chair abraham lincoln ever sat in was this well-worn
cushioned rocker. chairs in this upholstered grecian style,
with curved backs and scrolled arms,
are now known as lincoln rockers.

mark twain in his rocker (on his porch)
---		 MARK TWAIN (1835-1910)
american writer.

german writers, 1927
---		 GERMAN WRITERS (bertholt brecht and friends)

this picture shows elisabeth hauptmann typewriting
on a rocking chair.

picasso in his thonet rocking chair
courtesy thonet, frankenberg
---		 PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)
spanish artist






/ see more images
- 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

john f. kennedy and his rocker
 JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917-1963)
35th president of the united states.

john f. kennedy used the rocking chair as therapy
to ease his backpain from a war injury.
he owned several rockers and bought many as gifts
for friends and heads of state.

the kennedy rocker
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eisenhower in rocking chair
---		 DWIGHT EISENHOWER (1890-1969)
34th president of the united states

this picture shows eisenhower in 1963.

ronald regan in his sam maloof rocker
(on the right: sammaloof )
---		 RONALD REGAN (1911)
40th president of the united states



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.............................. origin ....................... precursors .................... modern (1) ..................... modern (2) .................. contemporary ............. newcomers




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see more on rocking chairs


on their rockeres.......off their rockers ......other rockers


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this major study, curated by designboom in 2001
will provide all those interested in 'furniture' with information on the chronological evolution of rocking chairs.