FARMINGTON – Members of the public have an opportunity to own a piece of local history, as the Farmington Public Library will be offering its original Bentwood chairs and re-caning lessons as a fundraiser this fall.
When the library was created in 1905, it was furnished with a number of Bentwood chairs from Austria by the Thonet company. Michael Thonet, the founder of the company, invented the Bentwood style, incorporating steamed or soaked wood which could be bent into curved shapes. All of the library’s chairs had caned seats.
Over the past 100 years, the caning in the chairs has become worn. The library has decided to make them available for purchase as part of a fundraiser that will also provide buyers the means and knowledge to repair them.
In October, caning lessons will be offered by Georgia Tolman at the library. Chairs are being sold for $40, while lessons and supplies are $10. Chairs may be purchased now or at the time of lessons. All funds raised through the sale will go toward improving and benefiting the library.
More information is available by calling 578-0286.
Great fundraising idea! I would love to own one of these and have wanted to learn some fundamentals of chair caning for another project. Thank you folks (including Georgia Tolman) for providing the opportunity. I plan to sign up soon!
What a great opportunity to learn how to cane from one of the best. Georgia has done a chair for me and did an amazing job! Great fundraiser!