Latterback Highchair
1780 - 1820

But, our parents’ great, great grandparents were not without the same kinds of concerns we have for our children today. They worried about their safety, what they ate, how they behaved and, yes, if they washed behind their ears. Objects of childhood tell a great deal about family life.

The Staten Island Historical Society’s planned exhibition of children’s furniture from 1780 to 1925 explores the role of these items in American homes.

More than 30 historic furnishings will be on display including highchairs, cradles, and baby carriages, along with other childhood artifacts and photographs. Today’s parents will have a unique opportunity to look at the family life of their ancestors with this exhibit.

Visitors to the museum with see how furniture changed as childrearing practices and parental aspirations evolved through the century. The solid sides and paneled hood of a cradle from 1780-1820 reflect parents’ concern with shielding their infants from drafts and protecting their eyes from light. As ventilation emerged as a greater concern, cradles made later in the 19th century were given slatted or spindled sides

By the end of the century, fears that the rocking motion was harmful to infants rendered cradles nearly obsolete. A ladderback highchair made 1780-1820 is essentially a child-sized version of an adult chair, but with long legs so its tiny user could reach the table. Its tall stiles angle inward for increased stability. In contrast, an innovative convertible highchair made 1876-1890 is specialized and complex, intended to safely contain and entertain the child. A patented mechanism allows it to convert to a rocking chair or a stroller.

Additional exhibition highlights include a child’s rattan potty chair from 1850-1925, reflecting a time before indoor plumbing was standard in middle-class homes; and an elegant child-sized parlor chair, 1850-1875, which suggests the genteel behavior parents expected of their child in a formal setting. Seen together, the display of children’s furniture has visual impact that comes from the petite scale of the objects and also from the legacy of the original owners.

Rattan Potty Chair 1850 - 1925