Side chair, one of four, c. 1914
Pine, horsehair upholsteryexpand_more
Gift of Susan Decker Barrowsexpand_more 93.89.1
On View in Gallery 300expand_more
In 1913 Purcell and Elmslie built a large summer residence for Edward W. Decker, a Minneapolis banker, on a wooded lot on Lake Minnetonka. The dining room furniture is unlike any other by Purcell and Elmslie. It is constructed of pine, a wood appropriate for a summer house, with chair seats upholstered in hard-wearing horsehair, once a deep blue. The chair backs have no decorative design, letting the form tell the story. The molding on the side-rail terminals and on the feet matched that of the built-in buffets. Purcell later noted that, "Mr. Decker spent all the money that was necessary to make our architectural thesis complete in all its detail...really an integral work in every department."
[Insert photo of Decker Dining Room here - NWAA photo]
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Details
- Title
- Side chair, one of four
- Artist Life
- 1880–1965
- Role
- Designer
- Accession Number
- 93.89.1
- Curator Approved
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