The “Signatures” of Joseph Henzey The craftsmanship of a Philadelphia Windsor chair maker Herb Lapp Editor’s Note: This article is based on an earlier article on Herb Lapp’s research into sack-back Windsors, originally published in Period Furniture Maker, 2008. In the original article, Lapp described a data analysis model based on detailed measurements, a complement to visual study when identifying Joseph Henzey’s unbranded chairs. The work was based on a close study of all Henzey’s chairs in Philadelphia’s Carpenters’ and Independence Halls, along with chairs at Pook and Pook, Inc. and Wm. Bunch auctions in southeastern Pennsylvania. J.F. E Eighteenth-century Philadelphia established itself as the Windsor chair capitol of the colonies, and its craftsmen took the British design to new heights, making the Windsor a truly American furniture art form. Windsor chairs are different from other furniture built during the colonial era. The styles of case furniture, A sack-back Windsor with paw handholds at the Historical Society of Berks County, but was it by Henzey or Trumble? Both were excellent carvers, both produced beautiful knuckles on chairs for their more demanding customers, and both used paw handholds on their more economical chairs following the example of Thomas Gilpin nearly 20 years earlier on his famous comb-backs. Closer study of the chair revealed it to be made by Trumble. Page 20 ■ Antiques Journal ■ April 2010