Advice on this chair

Hi All

Would someone be able to give me some help as to what this chair is, how old it might be and what wood it is made of please? Thanks.

Bryan

 

Yup.

 

Very popular in the 40s-50s,"cottage " style.

 

Agree, recent, as is 1950's or so. Appears to be cedar.

 

I didn't enlarge it...........2nd thought, could be walnut

 

This is a reproduction keyed tenon plank chair. I have heard these called hall chairs or sometimes a tavern chair. The form goes back to medieval vernacular chairs but there have been popular revivals of such chairs through time. Most notably, during the Arts and Crafts period and in the US, Post-WWII era. Yours appears to be even newer than that or, perhaps, refinished and of the later vintage.

Hard to tell wood from this picture. It could be birch, maple, or poplar with a stain. That streak of lighter wood makes me think poplar as it often has some pieces of wood that don't take stain well. It is also typical of natural cedar and cherry. The former is not a particularly good wood for chair making and the latter would not generally be used in a form such as this. I guess anything is possible though.