Does anyone out there remember the old Morris Chair? The last time I visited my father before his death, he was sitting in his special chair, a Morris Chair. The year was 1953, in the summer. I was living in Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula and had gone home to Kentucky to see my father. He had suffered a stroke and I went to see if I could be of any help to my mother in caring for him. He was 71 and had given up working at his job as a tax and bookkeeping service. The night before he had stayed up to watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television.
On the particular day I remember, he was sitting in his favorite chair, in his bedroom and he was using his right hand to lift his left hand. His left arm and hand were resting on the wooden arm of the Morris chair. He was attempting to make his left hand move and saying "Come on Lefty, come on". Not much was known about strokes at that time, so no rehabilitation was ordered. He lived for six months in that condition. In the present time he may have been rehabilitated through any of several means. As it was, he struggled with his inability to use his left side and eventually died from complications of pneumonia around Thanksgiving of that year.
My father knew he could not continue to live like that and he had discussed it with my mother. He told her he did not want to die as "the children might need me". With eight children, he dearly loved each one of us and began each day in prayer for every one of us. I suppose I associate my father with that Morris chair as it was his chair and we had it in our home for a long time. I think it was the forerunner of the Lazy Boy of today.
This memory was pulled to the fore this morning when I was looking at the favorite chair of my late husband, a Lawson chair. It was originally red leather and we probably bought it in the 1950's. Now it is upholstered in a masculine pattern of blues and blacks and maroons which my son-in-law had selected around twenty years ago. Because it was my husbands favorite chair, it has sentimental value for me, plus it is a comfortable chair for resting.
You may have a favorite chair now or one that you wish you still had. I am in that category also. We once bought a Lincoln chair and it may have been the forerunner of the Morris as it looked similar but was set on a rocker base. I had the audacity to undertake the task of reupholstering it myself with no skills in that area. It was covered with old red velvet and looking rather ratty. I was brave enough to try as we only paid $10 for it from an "antique" dealer. I do not believe for one minute that it had any value as an antique, but it had rockers and I wanted a rocker for the baby we expected. Since we were on a limited budget it seemed like a good idea. We did not keep the Lincoln chair however. It was old and musty and somewhere along the way we gave it away or junked it. It really had no sentimental value for me and that is why I did not feel compelled to keep it.
I think most men have a favorite chair in their homes, or it seems that they should have a place to relax after a day of work. Archie Bunker had his and beware anyone who sat in his chair. For my father, he used his chair to sit while he read the evening newspaper. That is almost a thing of the past. So many people get their news via television or on line. I think that favorite chair for most men is now where they sit to watch television in the evening. It may be an unnamed symbol of authority. He who sits here has earned the right to enjoy this space and not be disturbed.
I had almost forgotten about the old Morris chair so I checked it out on Wikipedia and learned that it was originally a prototype of Ephraim Colman in rural Sussex but was marketed by William Morris company, as early as the 1880's. The main feature of it was the reclining back which was hinged to be raised and lowered as desired. I understand a type of Morris chair is still available for purchase. All that I knew about it at the time was that it was Daddy's chair and if anyone was in it when he entered the room, they vacated it immediately. It was relinquished not out of fear, but out of respect for him. He was always respectful of others and it was returned in kind.
So, the old Morris chair has special memories and meaning for me, as it reminds me of the head of our family, my father.
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