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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Windsor chair
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General name for a type of chair made in England since the 17C and exported in the early 18C to America, where it also became a standard pattern. The distinctive feature is a solid wooden seat into which are fitted the round tops of the legs and the round bottoms of the spindles for the back. There are many variations – high or low-backed, armless or with a rail of wood curving round at elbow level. The separate ingredients could be made by different craftsmen and even on other premises, making possible an early form of mass production. A main centre for making the chairs has been High Wycombe, about 20km/12m northwest of Windsor (the reason for the name is unknown).
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