Brian Crossley chair caner

Brian is secretary of the Heritage Crafts Association and a second generation chair caner with over 40 years personal experience

Today Brian shared a picture of his work with the committee and I thought HCA supporters may be interested too.

"Currently commissions are just rolling in without any effort on my part, many of which are ordinary but some are mouth watering in their quality.  Today I am expecting a Gordon Russell Chair with a caned seat requiring re caning, which so far I am aware is unique for normally they were seated in other materials like rush.  Just for a change from our normal e mails, I attach a picture of 'before' and 'after' of two delightful Regency Chairs, now re caned for an Antique Dealer in Shrewsbury.  Note the 'rope' detail on the top rail which indicates a celebration of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and so approximately dating the chairs to around 1810.  What you cannot see is that they are made of beech but decorated to look like Rosewood.  Nobody in my Chair Caning Class yesterday realised this when I used the chair as an object for training and discussion."

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