IMPORTANT CLASSICAL MAHOGANY ARMCHAIR MADE FOR THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, By Thomas Constantine and Company (w. 1815-1837), New York, Circa 1819

Retains its original surface and webbing. Thomas Constantine and Company label on back seat rail.

Frame appears to be original with two small replacements to both front corners. A metal brace added to the back of the right stile. Appears to retain original linen backing. Legs with scratches, scuffs, and nicks consistent with use and age. The front legs retain their original cast brass cups, now lacking wheel assemblages. Back legs now without cups or casters. Back proper right foot with patch to foot 1 x 1 inch, other leg missing patch in that area. Proper left front foot with half of foot replaced and now slightly loose.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This armchair is part of an important set of chairs commissioned by Congress in 1818 from Thomas Constantine and Company. The commission was part of the effort to rebuild the Capitol and the White House after it was burned by the British during the War of 1812. In February 1815, President James Madison approved a half million dollar loan to rebuild the Capitol, and he then, in April 1818, gave the House of Representatives $30,000 to refurnish its new space. The chairs were delivered to the Capitol in October 1819 and Congress reconvened for the first time on December 6, 1819.

The chairs can be seen in situ in The House of Representatives, a painting by Samuel Morse from 1822 and now in the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC. This example is one of only three House of Representative chairs that retains the T. Constantine & Co. label. One of the other examples is in the collection of the US House of Representatives and is illustrated in Luke Beckerdite, American Furniture, Chipstone Foundation, 2006, pg. 196.

Thomas Constantine came to the United States from England when he was two years old, and he is documented as serving as an apprentice from 1810 to 1812 for John Hewitt in New York City. He set up his own shop in New York City beginning in 1816 and seems to have experienced quick financial success. Constantine won the commission in 1818 by offering a lower price than any of the other bidders, which also included the renowned cabinetmaker Charles Honore Lannuier. The bidding process was mostly about cost, since Henry Clay, the Speaker of the House, and Thomas Claxton, Doorkeeper of the House, had already wrote a detailed description of the ideal specifications for the furniture and had commissioned a cabinetmaker, Henry Hill, to make prototypes. Thomas Constantine was in charge of executing the predetermined concept of Claxton and Hill. The Constantine chairs and desks remained until they were eventually replaced in June 1858 and the originals were publicly auctioned off. For a history of the commission and the subsequent rediscovery of the Constantine commission see Margaret Klapthor, “Furniture in the Capital: Desks and Chairs Used in the Chamber of the House of Representatives, 1819-1857,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., vol. 69/70, pp. 190-211.