William Savery (cabinetmaker)

Governor's Council Chamber, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Four of these Queen Anne chairs are originals and four are reproductions.

William Savery (cabinetmaker) (1721 or 1722 - 1787, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American cabinetmaker noted for his Queen Anne-style and Philadelphia Chippendale-style furniture.

He served a 7-year apprenticeship under the Philadelphia cabinetmaker Solomon Fussell, beginning in 1735. In 1742, at about age 21, he opened his own shop on 2nd Street, just south of High (now Market) Street in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin was an early patron of the young cabinetmaker, and two Savery-attributed pieces descended in Franklin's family. In 1754 Savery was appointed a tax assessor, serving under Franklin.^[1]

In addition to custom pieces in mahogany and walnut, Savery manufactured large numbers of maple rush-seated chairs. Some of Savery's pieces are marked with an "S." A rare few have their original paper labels:

"All Sorts of Chairs and Joiners Work Made ad Sold by William Savery, At the Sign of the Chair, a little below the Market, in Second Street, Philadelphia."

On April 19, 1746 he married Mary Peters in Philadelphia. Their son, William Jr., became a notable Quaker preacher. Another son, Thomas, continued in the furniture trade.

Examples of his work

Maple side chair with rush seat (ca. 1745), Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[2]
Four Queen Anne chairs (1750-60), Governor's Council Chamber, Independence Hall, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An additional four reproduction chairs were added in 1971.^[3]
Tea table (ca. 1750-70), Philadelphia Museum of Art.^[4]
Four-sided music stand (owned by Franklin), Franklin Court, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[5]
Dressing table (owned by Franklin)

Notes

^ Halsey, p. 256.
^ Side chair from Metropolitan Museum of Art.
^ Independence Hall chairs from Whitley Craftsman.
^ Tea table from Philadelphia Museum of Art.
^ Franklin's music stand from Flickr.

References

R. T. H. Halsey, "William Savery, The Colonial Cabinet-Maker and His Furniture," Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York: 1926), pp. 254-67.
William H. Horner, Blue Book, Philadelphia Furniture (Highland House, 1935; reprint, 1988).
Jack L. Lindsey, Worldly Goods: The Arts of Early Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1999).

[1] Halsey, p. 256.

[2] Side chair from Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[3] Independence Hall chairs from Whitley Craftsman.

[4] Tea table from Philadelphia Museum of Art.

[5] Franklin's music stand from Flickr.

[1]