X-Ray of "Brewster" Chair, Imaged 1977
THF136227 / X-Ray of "Brewster" Chair, Imaged 1977
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Artifact Overview
In 1977, questions arose about the authenticity of a celebrated 17th-century chair known as the "Brewster Chair" at The Henry Ford. X-Rays showed the mortise holes on the chair were made by drill bits developed in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. Comparisons with 17th-century chairs and woodworking tools helped conservators and curators prove the museum's chair was a modern woodworker's intentional fake.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Radiograph
Date Made
01 June 1977
Subject Date
01 June 1977
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
EI.288.7
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8 in
Width: 10 in
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Related Artifacts
Artifact"Brewster" Chair, 1969
In 1970, the Henry Ford Museum purchased what was believed to be a rare and remarkable 17th century armchair. In 1977, a story broke about a woodworker who attempted to demonstrate his skill by making a similar chair that would fool the experts. Analysis proved the Museum's chair was the woodworker's modern fake. Today, the Museum views the chair as an educational tool. Does it fool you?
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Related Content
articleThe Bogus Brewster Chair
In 1970, The Henry Ford acquired a throne-like, 17th-century Brewster chair — but it didn't turn out to be what we expected.